Man Impersonating Police Officer Robs Victims, Sometimes Handcuffs Them

A surveillance video tape of captures the apparent impersonator

A man suspected of impersonating a police officer has robbed at least five people in neighborhoods surrounding downtown L.A., the LAPD said today. Pretending to be a plainsclothes cop, the man would approach victims, flash a fake badge and sometimes handcuff them before patting down their body and searching their vehicle. He would remove money and escape in a 2000-2006 gray or dark blue Chevy Suburban with a luggage rack on top.

Known robberies have taken place between mid-June and mid-July, three of them on Bonnie Brae Street. They've taken place between the noon hour and 5:30 p.m. (see the below map for locations and times)

The 40-something man is described as Hispanic, black hair, brown hair and with tattoos of female faces on his arms. He's 200 to 250 pounds and is around 6 feet tall.