SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio landlord is accused of recording a female tenant with a camera inside a rented room. The tenant is sharing her story with KENS 5. Alin Reyes said she wants to warn others to be careful.
San Antonio police say Francois Habib recorded the tenant using a camera-fitted Wi-Fi device. Investigators say they found 11 videos of the victim on Habib's iPhone.
"My heart dropped," said Reyes. "But, it was like a good drop."
Reyes said that is how she reacted to the arrest of her former landlord. This Summer, Reyes said she rented a room out of a home from Habib.
"At first, everything seemed okay," she said.
Reyes said she found the room through an app.
"It said females only," she said.
Reyes said other women were renting rooms at the home too. She said to her surprise, Habib was living there as well. She says she started to feel something was off and at different times, her landlord was listening in to her private conservations.
"Started to feel an icky feeling toward him," she said.
At first, Reyes was renting a small room but asked to move into a much bigger room. In the room, she said there was a Wi-Fi repeater.
"It was pointing towards the bed," she said.
Reyes said she moved furniture around, but still had a feeling something wasn't right. She said she decided to look up apps on her phone to help find hidden cameras. She said she downloaded an app which came back with IP addresses. She said one came back with the word Ali. Reyes said she pulled the device and looked closely and found the lens to a camera.
KENS 5 spoke to David Allen. He is the general manager of AllGen Computers in San Antonio. He said Wi-Fi repeaters or extenders, are devices used to transmit and strengthen Wi-Fi signals over long distances. The devices might be used in large homes, office spaces or warehouses.
According to the arrest affidavit, investigators say Habib purposely placed the Wi-Fi repeater in the victim's room. The document states he was able to view the victim by live-stream on the cell phone.
"I ran out of my room," she said. "I started crying. I called my sister, actually I called the cops first."
Reyes said she started going to therapy and is still shaken up.
"I feel disgusted," she said. "It gives me a lot of anxiety thinking about it."
Reyes wanted to come forward to share her story as a warning to others.
"To put it out there and for people to be safe," she said.
Police believe Habib was recording from July through September. The 56-year-old is facing charges of invasive visual recording and has a pre-hearing set for December.