Gavin Christian Mestas, a 26-year-old man, entered a guilty plea on Friday to multiple misdemeanor charges and was immediately sentenced to 90 days in jail. The charges stemmed from incidents at an Irvine apartment complex where Mestas was involved in secretly videotaping individuals and engaging in lewd conduct at the facility’s gym and pool areas.
In addition to his jail sentence, Mestas has been placed on a one-year term of formal probation. He has been given a deadline of October 2 to report and begin serving his required jail term.
The events in question unfolded at an apartment complex located at 51 Murica in Irvine. According to Kyle Oldoerp of the Irvine Police Department, Mestas visited the property on at least three distinct occasions during June and September of this year. Specifically, incidents occurred on June 2 and June 8. Court records further indicate that Mestas carried out concealed recordings on September 1, 2024. Mestas is not a resident of the apartment complex and gained unauthorized entry using a burglary tool.
Authorities, through Oldoerp, declined to specify the exact ages of the victims. However, Oldoerp confirmed that all victims involved are children.
Mestas's guilty plea covered a wide array of misdemeanor offenses. Among these were two counts of child annoyance, which address actions that could disturb or offend minors. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of lewd conduct in a public place, acknowledging acts of an indecent sexual nature performed publicly.
The charges also included offenses related to his unauthorized access and recording methods. Mestas admitted to one count of possession of burglary tools, which he used to enter the complex, and one count of trespassing. Furthermore, he pleaded guilty to five separate counts of disorderly conduct. These specific charges detail the use of a concealed camera to secretly videotape individuals who were partially clothed.
His plea also incorporated two counts of peeping to invade privacy, acknowledging acts of observing others in private settings without their knowledge or consent. Concluding the list of charges, Mestas pleaded guilty to three counts of using a concealed recording device to record another person without their explicit permission. All of these offenses were categorized as misdemeanors in court proceedings.
Upon his guilty plea, Mestas was promptly sentenced, with the expectation that he will commence his jail term by the specified date in early October, followed by a period of formal supervision.
