Dollar Store Employee Facing Charges For Allegedly 'Upskirting' Customer

MALDEN (CBS) -- An employee at the Dollar Tree Store in Malden is facing upskirting charges after allegedly taking an obscene photo of a female customer.

Christopher Molina, 29, was arrested Wednesday afternoon after police were called to the Dollar Tree on Broadway.

A witness told police she saw Molina place his cell phone on the floor directly under the woman's skirt and then she yelled, "what are you doing?"

That witness, Felicita Malave, told the victim what happened before confronting Molina. She said the woman had no idea.

"It was two seconds, bend down, he already had the camera ready, and flash boom and out," said Malave. "I would never let no man disrespect a woman that way."

Court documents indicate the incident was caught on store surveillance video, but Molina denies he took or deleted any photos.

"I was like, 'um, excuse you? Did you just do what I thought you did?'" Malave said. "I'm like, 'you nasty pervert.'"

"I saw the camera and I saw the flash, he took the picture," she said.

Molina then allegedly ran into an employee only office. Both the alleged victim's mother and Molina called police. Molina said he called police because they were yelling at him.

A ban on upskirting was signed into law by former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in 2014.

A judge ordered Molina stay away from his accuser, the store, and any witnesses in the case. His phone was also taken away. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court in October.

A spokesperson for Dollar Tree said in a statement, "We were very disappointed to learn of these allegations because this simply is not how we expect our employees to conduct themselves."

The store would not confirm Molina's current employment status.

Malave posted a message to her friends on Facebook after the incident saying, in part, "protect your girls." And, if she's nearby, she will do her part.

"As a woman, I think it's the most disgusting thing," she said.