John MacLauchlan is a digital content producer for CBS Miami. He attended Florida State University and graduated with a Communications degree. John joined the CBS Miami digital team in February 2007.
A former Miami-Dade Fire Rescue lieutenant was arrested after he allegedly placed a hidden camera in station bathrooms and secretly recorded more than 600 video clips of female and male personnel.
Manuel Fernandez, 55, is facing 11 counts of video voyeurism.
According to his arrest warrant, on April 1, 2023, a fire rescue employee found a suspicious wall charger with a USB outlet, plugged into the electrical outlet in the men's bathroom at Fire Station 69 on NW 74 Street in Doral.
The employee told his supervisors about it and they determined it was a "covert" video camera, according to the warrant.
The police were notified.
The camera was taken to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Forensics Unit who discovered a single Micro-SD card which had more than 600 video clips on it of 18 male and female employees, according to the warrant.
The videos were dated from Feb. 11, 2023, to April 1, 2023.
"The Victims were video recorded while they were in their most vulnerable state, within their sanctuary where they had absolute expectation of privacy," according to the warrant.
Investigators noted that the bathrooms in the videos were only accessible to employees and not the public.
Investigators found a video dated Feb. 20 which showed a man wearing a grey MDFR uniform and silver watch adjusting the camera in a bathroom, the warrant stated.
In a video dated March 12, investigators noted that the camera was in a different bathroom, a females-only bathroom, at MDFR Station 66 on SE 8 Street in Homestead.
"The Subject was the only employee working at both fire stations on the respective dates," according to the warrant.
On April 24, 2023, when investigators tried to talk with Fernandez at JC'S Recovery and Counseling Center in Hollywood, he allegedly refused to do so without an attorney, according to the warrant.
Fernandez was put on leave during the investigation and later resigned.
On July 2, 2025, the warrant was issued for his arrest. He was taken into custody on July 7, charged and has since posted bond.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue issued the following statement after Fernandez's arrest:
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) is aware of the arrest of a former employee. The individual was a firefighter who is no longer employed with the department. MDFR fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout their investigation which led to the arrest of the former employee.
On Tuesday evening, he walked out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK) after posting bond.