Man who tried to take upskirt videos at Mesa Walmart is repeat offender, police say

MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- A man was taken into custody after police say he tried taking upskirt videos of a woman at a Walmart in Mesa, and has previously done the same thing. On June 19, officers say 31-year-old Christopher Yazzie was inside a Walmart near Country Club Drive and Baseline Road when he began following a woman. He followed her to the pharmacy when he came up behind her, got down on one knee and started recording upskirt videos, investigators say.

Court paperwork says the woman’s boyfriend then came around the aisle and saw Yazzie recording. He quickly confronted Yazzie, who ran away and dropped his phone. Investigators say the boyfriend tried chasing after Yazzie but couldn’t catch up to him. Finally, he was able to grab Yazzie’s phone. Walmart surveillance video captured the whole incident.

Police searched Yazzie’s phone and compared his photos to the surveillance video. On Tuesday, Yazzie was arrested at a hotel near Power Road and Superstition Springs Boulevard.

According to court documents, Yazzie admitted to police he was trying to record upskirt videos but claimed he was drunk, which affected his judgment. He then told officers he “gets excited” and “enjoys the rush of being able to record a victim and get away with it,” court paperwork said. Yazzie also said he just got off three-year probation for a previous conviction where he was caught inappropriately recording and was told to take classes to control his behavior, police say. He then apologized and said he knew his actions were wrong. Yazzie was booked on one count of unlawful surreptitious photographing.

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