SOUTH MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A 55-year-old man was arrested Thursday after Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies said he drove an outfitted Dodge Charger equipped with emergency lights, a siren and other law enforcement-style equipment, leading people to believe he was a police officer.
Enrique Perez-Palenzuela was taken into custody after deputies said they watched him activate emergency lights on his vehicle, walk into a Wawa convenience store wearing a badge, gun belt and holstered handgun, then drive through the shopping plaza with the lights still activated
The incident happened around 5:05 p.m. near Southwest 248th Street and Southwest 112th Avenue in the Princeton area of south Miami-Dade.
According to the arrest report, a deputy was parked at a Wawa gas station when he saw a white Dodge Charger pull into the parking lot with blue and green emergency lights flashing.
Perez-Palenzuela then got out of the vehicle wearing what deputies described as a law enforcement-style uniform, complete with a badge, gun belt and holstered handgun, before walking into the convenience store.
Investigators said Perez-Palenzuela later returned to the vehicle and drove through the shopping plaza with the emergency lights still activated, failing to stop at multiple stop signs.
Deputies said his actions and appearance led them to believe he was portraying himself as a law enforcement officer.
After the vehicle left the shopping plaza and the emergency lights were turned off, deputies conducted a traffic stop.
According to the arrest report, Perez-Palenzuela told deputies in Spanish that he had recently purchased the vehicle with the emergency equipment installed and did not realize the lights had been activated.
Deputies said the Dodge Charger was equipped with blue and green emergency lights, sirens, a spotlight, a push bumper and a prisoner partition, equipment commonly associated with law enforcement vehicles.
He is charged with falsely personating an officer and prohibited use of certain blue lights, according to the arrest report.
Judge found probable cause and issued $3,000 bond
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