Unique Feature On Team Plays Photobooth Leads To Wrongdoers Capture

BATAVIA, IL -- A man from Aurora, IL, was charged this week with criminal damage to property and theft in an incident that involved a photobooth at the Funway family entertainment center here. An image of Chancellor J. Terrell, 24, was captured by Funway's Fun Stop photobooth, which is manufactured by Team Play Inc.

According to a news release issued by the Batavia Police Dept., Terrell turned himself in to Batavia police on Monday, Feb. 8. Police last week issued an alert after photos were obtained from the photobooth. Terrell, while allegedly prying open the coinbox of the FEC's photobooth, had his photo taken while committing the theft that took place on Nov. 25, 2015, according to police.

The week before the perpetrator surrendered, police had distributed the photos, which prompted several tips. Terrell's image at the scene of the crime was discovered when the photobooth was recently undergoing maintenance.

"To access the Fun Stop Photos' cashbox, you need to enter the booth interior," explained Team Play's Geno Giuntoli. "A photo is taken during any cashbox door event, whether it's a routine collection or a forced entry. This particular photo is not printed, but is stored on the machine's hard drive."

Terrell was booked on misdemeanor charges and could get up to one year in jail if convicted, police said. About $75 was stolen from the photobooth, which also sustained $75 in damage.

"I've heard a half dozen stories about one of our photobooth's capturing the image of someone making an unauthorized entry," Giuntoli told Vending Times. "The recent case in Batavia is a great example of how effective this security feature is."

The idea behind the surveillance feature was instinctive for the manufacturer. Two of Team Play's principals, brothers Ed and Frank Pellegrini, are not only equipment designers, but they are also experienced operators who have seen their share of break-ins and unauthorized collections. Since the photobooth is already equipped with a camera, they created a secondary use for it.