LYTLE, Texas — Fake cops are pulling people over, according to two separate incidents reported in a matter of weeks.
This week, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office arrested one man for impersonating an officer. He is accused of trying to pull a woman over. KENS 5 tracked her down.
Charlie Swadley reported the incident on I35 South and Luckey road in southwest Bexar county. However, weeks ago and just miles away there was a separate incident in Lytle.
On July 7, police say five men dressed as officers, zip-tied two people and stole their stuff. Police believe those zip-tie suspects were wearing stolen police gear.
Lytle Police Chief Richard Priest doesn’t believe the two incidents are connected. He along with the Texas Rangers are still looking for the five suspects in his case. He said it is strange how close these two incidents happened from one another.
“It was kind of scary,” Swadley said.
After a late shift, Swadley was heading home from work, when investigators said Proenza-Perez was pretending to be a cop and tried to pull her over.
“They kind of followed me for a long time,” she said.
She remembers the Mustang and said he followed her for nearly 10 minutes.
“He was still behind me with the lights on trying to get me to stop,” she said. “I wouldn’t stop so he flew around me real fast. Then he started slowing down in front of me.”
Swadely called 9-1-1. She knew something was wrong because the flashing red and blue lights were only on the dashboard, the car had paper license plates, and a headlight was out.
“I just couldn’t see myself pulling over for a cop with a broken headlight,” she said. “Out here in the middle of nowhere and not looking like a cop car at all.”
She said he eventually turned around. BCSO arrested him shortly after and believes there could be other victims. The mother wonders what if she did stop.
“I could have been dead right, if anything,” she said.
She is speaking up because she wants others to be careful.
“If you are in doubt call 911,” she said. Go somewhere where there are other people.”
There are police cars that are unmarked. BCSO offers the following tips.
- Our deputies are trained to understand people may keep driving to a more populated area
- Drivers should activate their flashers and should wave to the officer to let them know they see them, then they should reduce speed to show the officer they are not running
- Continue to drive to a well-lit/populated area
- Lastly, if you do find yourself in a suspicious situation similar to this female victim's incident, you can call the BCSO at 210-335-6000 to report it.
In regard to the incident in Lytle, Chief Priest said they have good leads in the case.