Walnut Creek: Suspected peeper caught by his own camera on the can

Steven John Novelli, 54, was charged with 83 felonies and misdemeanors for allegedly setting up hidden cameras in a Starbucks bathroom.

WALNUT CREEK — A city resident charged with setting up hidden cameras inside a Starbucks restroom inadvertently caught himself on video, and police later used the footage to identify him, according to recently released court documents.

Steven John Novelli, 54, faces 83 felony and misdemeanor charges related to incidents in June and July when he allegedly set up a hidden camera, pointed at the toilet, at the Starbucks on the 1300 block of North Main Street in Walnut Creek. Included in the charges are child pornography production counts, since the cameras allegedly caught prepubescent children using the restroom with their parents, police say.

Now, new court records detailing the investigation claim that Novelli returned to the Starbucks six weeks after an earlier hidden camera had been discovered and used tape and Velcro to set up a second video recording device. Both were discovered by staff members who locked down the bathroom and notified police.

For investigators, the first clue came when they searched memory cards on the cameras and discovered that Novelli had inadvertently recorded himself on June 7 and July 23, when both cameras were installed. Court records include screen shots of both videos showing the man identified as Novelli sitting on the toilet, adjusting the camera.

Both videos spanned more than an hour and captured several people using the restroom, including young children, according to police.

Authorities later learned that on July 23, Novelli had ordered a coffee and given the barista the name “Steve,” according to court documents. Police eventually used the video footage to identify Novelli from his DMV photo, authorities said.

When police searched Novelli’s home, his laptop was missing, and he would only tell investigators it was “gone,” according to police. So they contacted his estranged wife, who was out of state, and she gave them permission to search her home. There, investigators found Novelli’s laptop and filed an application to lawfully search it, court records show.

Novelli is scheduled to enter a plea later this month, and remains in jail in lieu of $1,130,000 bail, records show.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, police investigators are hoping to speak with anyone who visited that Starbucks on June 4 or July 23 between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Anyone with information may email Walnut Creek police Det. Tyler Bertolozzi at tbertolozzi@walnutcreekpd.com and reference Case No. 01-22-01419.