On May 17, 2016 at about 10:00 p.m. NPD arrested 28 year-old Ernesto Garate of Rio Rico, for impersonating a police officer. Garate was found to have red and blue police lights in his dark blue 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, which were suspected of being used to stop cars illegally.
NPD learned that on or about February 29 of this year Garate used red and blue police lights in the Chevrolet sedan in the evening hours to impersonate an officer and stop a vehicle on the roadway. This was believed to have occurred in the area of Nogales, Az. This information was supported with a brief video posted to a Facebook account, which NPD has obtained. The video shows the red and blue lights activated in Garate’s vehicle and Garate and another male accomplice can be heard laughing as the vehicle in front of them pulls over to the shoulder of the road. Garate was charged with a felony count of impersonating a police officer through the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office.
Although at this time there is evidence of at least one incident where Garate used the vehicle to impersonate a police officer, there may have been other similar incidents in the Nogales/Rio Rico area. For officer safety and community safety, NPD asks the public to report any information they believe may be related to this case or any contact they may have experienced with this suspect or vehicle under similar circumstances.