Police impersonator facing charges
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY), A man who police say impersonated an El Centro Police Officer through social media is facing charges.
The suspect is a 30-year-old man from Mexicali, suspected of posting a video online dressed as a police officer from El Centro.
Wearing a face mask to conceal his identity, the man in the video says that he and his partner are monitoring three families in El Centro that are not allowed to leave their house because they have tested positive for coronavirus. He also talks about coronavirus enforcements. Enforcements ECPD says are completely false.
The suspect was located and briefly detained at the Calexico West port of entry Monday, but according to ECPD, coronavirus safety measures have changed the way cases are currently being handled.
“Due to the coronavirus there are certain crimes that we are investigating and our protocol in the way we handle suspects is completely different,” said Sgt. Antonio Hernandez, ECPD.
“At the moment what's happening is that our detectives will be filing a case with the Imperial County District Attorney’s Office and it’s still under reveal,” said Hernandez.
In the state of California impersonating a police officer is a misdemeanor offense. If convicted the suspect could face thousands in fines or up to a year in jail.
