Valley Stream man faces charges after filming woman in shower, police say

A Valley Stream man was arrested and charged after he peered into a woman’s bathroom window Saturday night and used a cellphone to film her while she showered, Nassau police said.

Paul Cotugno, 31, entered the woman’s backyard in Valley Stream shortly after 10 p.m. and used a chair to look into her bathroom window, police said. The woman, 25, screamed and Cotugno fled on foot. He was found a few minutes later and taken into custody, police said.

Cotugno was charged with second-degree unlawful surveillance and two counts of third-degree criminal trespass. He was released on an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to First District Court in Hempstead on Jan. 23, police said.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.