Man Jailed for Lewd Photographs

Acknowledging that using a hand-held mirror to take photos up strange women’s dresses at a shopping mall was “a stupid thing to do,” a West Hills man began serving a 10-day jail sentence Monday for doing just that.

Tony Chavarria, a 29-year-old secretary, also was placed on two years’ probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, said Deputy City Atty. Kenneth Tso.

Van Nuys Municipal Court Judge Michael E. Knight also ordered the film in Chavarria’s camera destroyed and told him to stay away from the Topanga Plaza Mall in Canoga Park.

Chavarria was taken into custody Saturday after two women complained to police that he’d approached them from behind, pointed the mirror up their skirts and taken pictures.

“He just bent down and--snap, snap!” Tso said.

The incidents occurred in two stores in the mall--a Hallmark store and a candle shop called Wicks N Sticks.

The first victim, a 21-year-old Los Angeles woman, was unaware that she’d been photographed until another shopper told her, authorities said. She and the shopper followed Chavarria to another store, where they watched him photograph the second young woman. Mall guards were called, the women made a citizen’s arrest and the first victim identified Chavarria for police.

Chavarria admitted he’d taken pictures by aiming his mirror up women’s dresses, Tso said.

“I know it was a stupid thing to do,” Chavarria told police. “My friend does it, so I decided I would try it.”

The judge ordered Chavarria to begin serving the jail sentence immediately and said he could fulfill his community service requirement by removing graffiti or working on a Caltrans road crew.