Man arrested in connection with attempted carjacking, impersonating officer in Hemet

A man wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking and impersonating an officer in San Jacinto was arrested Monday by investigators who used a cellphone left at the scene to track him down.



Hem10-0301-JeremyPhillips Jeremy Phillips, 32, was confronted by investigators in a parking lot outside a motel in Hemet about 11 a.m, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. Phillips ran to a pickup and tried to leave, authorities said, but was arrested in the parking lot.



The Sheriff’s Department said Phillips approached a woman on March 1 in San Jacinto, telling her he was police officer and ordering her to get out of her vehicle.



The woman drove off as Phillips followed for a short while, flashing his headlights from low to high beam, according to authorities.Detectives recovered the cellphone at the scene.

–Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Jeremy Phillips. Credit: Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.