EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) – As an investigation into the discovery of two hidden cameras at an El Cajon fire station heads toward a conclusion, another hidden camera was recently found at another city fire station, ABC 10News has learned.
El Cajon Fire Station 8 has come under scrutiny after cameras disguised as an alarm clock and phone charger were found in first responder bunkrooms.
EMT Bella Mason recalls the moment she learned she was being watched.
“One of my coworkers, he texted me and he asked me, ‘Do you have a camera in our room?’ And obviously I'm like, ‘No.’ And so he sent me a picture and he was like, ‘I thought maybe you had it in here, maybe to watch your stuff. I just found this.’ Immediately, I just felt sick,” said Mason.
RELATED: Hidden cameras found in El Cajon fire station, first responders feel 'violated'
Four women living in the bunkrooms filed a claim against the City of El Cajon and employers at the fire station. The women are asking for $10,000 each for reasons including emotional distress, psychological treatment, and humiliation.
“It's like having anxiety all day, every single day. And that camera is motion-activated, which means every single time I was coming in there, like in a vulnerable space, somebody was watching me,” Mason told ABC 10News.
Regarding the investigation revolving around Fire Station 8, El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells said, “I think we're going to have a pretty good understanding of exactly what happened, within a week.”
However, Wells confirmed that a third hidden camera was discovered at a different fire station just a few days ago. He said that discovery does not appear to be related to the ongoing investigation.
On Monday, city officials met behind closed doors to prepare for the looming litigation.
"What we did today is we had a closed session so they could brief us on everything that's been happening in the investigation. I think we're really close to being concluded with the investigation," said Wells.
The women claim the city failed to do a prompt, thorough, and fair investigation.
Wells responded, “You know, if there had been a time when I was sleeping and I thought I was by myself and somebody was taking video of me, I'd be pretty upset about it. I will make sure that we take this very seriously.”
No other information regarding the third hidden camera discovery was released.
