HollyMatkinVictorville, CA – An armed 14-year-old boy, who dressed in a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) uniform, pulled people over, and claimed to be investigating fake domestic disturbances on Monday, has been arrested, police said (video below).
“He looked so normal, like a real police officer when I’d seen him,” Jasmine, who declined to reveal her last name, told KABC.
Police began looking for the unnamed teen on Monday evening, after he drove into the driveway of a residence in a white Ford Explorer with red and blue emergency lights activated, the SBCSD said in a statement.
A home security camera video showed the boy as he approached the residence.
“The suspect exited the Explorer wearing a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department uniform with a firearm in the belt holster,” the department wrote. “He went to the front door and told the occupants he was there to investigate a reported domestic disturbance.”
The homeowner denied having called police, and said there was no problem at the residence.
“The suspect tried to open the door but the homeowner had locked it,” the SBCSD said. The teen returned to the Explorer, but was followed by the homeowner. After a brief interaction, the suspect left the area, and the resident contacted police.
SBCSD Sergeant J. Monroe spotted the suspect vehicle on Tuesday, and initiated a traffic stop.
“It was a case of being in the right place at the right time,” Victorville Police Department (VPD) spokesperson Mara Rodriguez told ABC News. “One of our sergeants was on a routine patrol and spotted the vehicle. He made a traffic stop and the suspect was riding with his great-grandmother.”
Sgt. Monroe detained the boy, who was later charged for impersonating a deputy sheriff, the department said.
Investigators discovered a trove of police gear during a subsequent search of the teen’s home, to include a uniform, counterfeit cash, ballistic vests, radios, simulation weapons, badges, and other related clothing and gear.
Detectives said they also learned that the suspect, who was already on probation when he committed his latest offenses, had pulled over a female on Monday evening.
He obtained her personal information, gave her a warning, and allowed her to leave.
At another location, the teen activated the vehicle’s emergency lights outside of a residence, causing another teen to exit his home. The suspect told him he was investigating a domestic disturbance, but left after he was told that nothing had occurred in the area.
“At this point, we are still trying to pinpoint how he got everything, Rodriguez told ABC News. “It looks like some of the stuff was from the internet but we are still trying to figure out how he got the clothes.”
Investigators were still working to determine a motive, she added.
“We don’t know if it was for the thrill or the power of being a deputy,” Rodriguez explained. “The investigation is going to continue.”
The teen was being held at a juvenile detention center east of Los Angeles, KCRA reported.
You can watch police footage of the suspect below: