A Florida man appeared in court Tuesday on charges of impersonating police, accused of turning on lights and a siren in his car to pull over another driver.
Carlos Barros-Villahermosa, 59, is alleged to have stopped in the middle of traffic in Kissimmee, Florida, on Thursday, and to have turned on lights and sirens on his SUV to follow an 18-year-old man who drove around him, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday.
The sheriff’s office said that Mr. Barros-Villahermosa then pulled up next to the victim on the driver’s side and, when asked for ID by the skeptical victim, produced a badge as both cars continued to move.
The two pulled into a parking lot and Mr. Barros-Villahermosa asked for the victim’s license and registration before arguing with the teenage victim about the latter’s driving.
The victim then noticed another car in the parking lot that looked like those used by undercover officers, and requested that another officer be present, the sheriff’s office said.
At this point, Mr. Barros-Villahermosa allegedly fled. The victim then provided videos and images of Mr. Barros-Villahermosa and his car to the responding deputy.
When found and questioned by law enforcement, Mr. Barros-Villahermosa said he was a retired police officer from Puerto Rico and identified himself specifically as a contract investigator for the Department of Defense.
“We did confirm he was not a retired police officer from Puerto Rico. We don’t know what the reason is for this guy stopping them,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kim Montes told WESH-TV.
The Osceola County deputy then arrested Mr. Barros-Villahermosa. The sheriff’s office alleges that, after impounding the suspect’s SUV, they found switches inside to turn on blue lights and a siren.
Mr. Barros-Villahermosa is charged with impersonating a police officer and false imprisonment. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone who believes they were previously stopped on false pretenses by Mr. Barros-Villahermosa to contact them.
