December 17, 2008

Man Accused of Impersonating Police Officer Had 'Gift Card' ID

Video

Police in Grapevine, Texas have arrested a man accused of impersonating a police officer with an impressive truck but less than stellar fake I.D. card.

They were alerted by a concerned motorist who called 911 after spotting the man attempting to pull other drivers over.

When police got there, they stopped the white pickup truck and found it had an elaborate police lighting system, similar to what some departments use on undercover vehicles.

Police said officers also found a homemade police identification card that was not nearly as realistic as the lights on his truck. It was made with a gift card from a Chipotle restaurant, and the restaurant chain's logo was still visible on the top of the card with the word "police" written under it.

The driver of the truck, Adan Juarez Ramirez, 22, was arrested on a charge of impersonating a public official.

Smith said Ramirez admitted to mounting the lights on his truck but would not say why he did it or what he planned to do if he stopped someone.

He was jailed with an immigration hold. Police records indicate Ramirez is a Mexican citizen.

Police credited the alert driver who called 911 for making the arrest possible.

"It was incredible teamwork between the witness, our dispatcher and the officers to coordinate where they were going to go to apprehend this man," Sgt. Kim Smith said.

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Should the Texas State Legislature pass immigration enforcement laws in 2009?