An Akron man is accused of stalking a 27-year-old woman and hiding a camera inside her Tallmadge apartment after a break-in.
Lawrence Sklare, 54, was booked into the Summit County Jail on burglary and menacing by stalking charges.
The investigation started in late August after pictures of the victim started popping up near her apartment on South Avenue. Chief Ron Williams believes the pictures were planted to scare the woman.
"The pictures were in her car, at her apartment manager's office, in different places," Williams said.
On September 18, the woman's apartment was broken into, but nothing was missing.
However, when cops searched her apartment on Sept. 22, they found a duct-taped camera concealed near a utility room and it was hard-wired into a lightbox. It was aiming towards the bathroom and police suspect the woman was being watched.
"I think it's creepy. I think that somebody that would go to the extent to break into somebody's home and plant a camera in their home is disturbing," Williams said.
Police searched Sklare's home in Akron, but they didn't find computers or recording equipment.
"He removed them prior to the officers, that were able to get the search warrant, and go conduct the search warrant," Williams said.
Investigators did find a receipt for the camera in Sklare's home and then retrieved video from a Walmart which showed him buying it.
The victim, who does not want to be identified, told News 5, "He is already a convicted felon so I feel he deserves the maximum punishment for what he did."
Williams said the repeated invasion of privacy was frightening for the woman.
"She feels terrorized. She feels that he's everywhere," he said.
State records show Sklare has bounced in and out of prison seven times since 1989 on charges including forgery, theft, drug abuse and robbery.
