A man who authorities say told them he’s tired of people breaking the law was arrested for pretending to be an officer when he showed up at a West Covina house fire wearing a dark-blue uniform and riding a motorcycle with red and blue emergency lights.
He had a loaded gun and a non-working Taser, sheriff’s Lt. Julie Geary said.
Now, sheriff’s officials are looking for anyone who was pulled over by the fake motor officer in the East Valinda area near Nogales High School at 401 Nogales St., authorities said.
They suspect he has been doing that but so far have not found a victim.
The suspect, whose name was not released, is in his 30s and lives on the border of Valinda and West Covina, sheriff’s Sgt. Ken Fitch said.
“In his mind, he was keeping his neighborhood safe,” Fitch said.
On Oct. 4, the suspect turned up at the West Covina fire. Authorities say they believe the man may have showed up to direct traffic, Geary said.
But he didn’t stick around.
The man left when he saw deputies, she said. But deputies pulled him over and arrested him on suspicion of impersonating an officer, possession of a loaded firearm in public and loitering at a fire or emergency, Geary added.
The suspect was cited and released.
The sheriff’s Industry station released photos showing the suspect sitting in the back seat of a patrol car in a blue uniform with a patch reading “motor officer traffic” on his sleeve. He also had a black vest with a badge.
Authorities confiscated the uniform, the motorcycle, the Taser and other items as evidence.
They asked that anyone who was pulled over by the fake officer to call sheriff’s Detective Allen Walker at 626-934-3313.
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