A 20-year-old man got arrested on Tuesday and charged with posing as a police officer, among other felonies. Andres Sanchez, a resident of Ontario, California, is facing five counts of false imprisonment by violence, three counts of second-degree robbery, and two counts of attempted second-degree robbery.
According to prosecutors, Sanchez wore a law enforcement uniform and drove a sedan outfitted with red and blue lights to stop those who he thought were immigrants. He threatened immigrants with calling ICE if they didn’t give him money, jewelry or cellphones.
The complaint includes a special allegation that the defendant even used a firearm on one occasion. The District Attorney’s Office also contends that when the crimes were committed, the defendant was either free on bail or his recognizance in another case.
Through surveillance and investigative techniques, the Pomona PD Robbery Detectives were able to identify the suspects. Sanchez and a 17-year-old whose name authorities withheld got arrested in the City of Fontana, where they committed similar robberies, according to a statement released by Pomona Police on Friday.
The statement indicates that the Pomona Police Department investigated a series of robberies involving police impersonators targeting undocumented immigrants of the community. If convicted, Sanchez faces up to 25 years in state prison, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The Pomona Police Department is looking for additional victims and witnesses regarding the series of robberies. Sanchez’s prosecution is on January 3rd.
In June 2017, 30-year-old Travis N. Jordan got arrested for the same felony in Houston, TX. He impersonated an FBI agent so that he could steal from the lost and found of motels.
“Having someone committing robberies under the guise of a police officer is not only dangerous for the victims, but it erodes the public’s trust of real police officers, which we work very hard to protect,” reads an official statement.
This article was inspired by NBC Los Angeles // Man Charged With Posing as Police Officer to Steal From Immigrants