A man was arrested in Alhambra on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and making a traffic stop, police said Saturday.
Steven Alan Pritz, 37, of Alhambra was taken into custody after an Alhambra police officer saw Pritz flash red-and-blue lights at a Volkswagen about 11 a.m. Friday and make a traffic stop. The police officer drove closer to assist on the stop north of the Alhambra Golf Course, near the corner of Mission Road and Hidalgo Avenue.
But when the officer made eye contact with him, Pritz, wearing plain clothes, abruptly stopped what he was doing, got into his black Ford Crown Victoria and attempted to flee, said Alhambra Sgt. Joe Flannagan.
The police officer pursued and found that Pritz was in possession of a police patch and emergency lights that can be suctioned onto a windshield.
A search of Pritz’s home found handcuffs, gloves and boots, equipment "that would give the impression that the person was a police officer," Flannagan said.
Pritz was later connected to another incident involving an alleged police impersonator in Alhambra in February. In that case, the alleged impersonator pulled over a car and told the driver that he was upset at the victim’s driving pattern, flashed a police patch, yelled at the driver and threatened to impound the vehicle.
The victim from the February incident positively identified Pritz as the suspect, police said.
Pritz was booked on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and attempting to detain someone unlawfully. He was released Friday night on $50,000 bail and is scheduled to face a judge Tuesday at the Alhambra Courthouse.
Police have been unable to talk with the driver of the Volkswagen allegedly pulled over by Pritz on Friday. Flannagan asked that driver to contact Alhambra police at (626) 570-5168.
Anyone else who suspects they have been a victim of a police impersonator should call their local police department to file a report, Flannagan said.
Flannagan said that if a driver suspects that the person making a traffic stop is not a legitimate police officer, the driver should ask to see a badge and identification. If that person hesitates, call 911 from a cellphone and ask for a marked black-and-white police vehicle to arrive on the scene.
A legitimate plain-clothed police officer should understand and wait for backup. "If it’s phony, they’re going to flee," Flannagan said.
An alternative is to drive safely to the nearest police station, Flannagan said.
Alhambra is a suburb in the San Gabriel Valley about 7 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
— Rong-Gong Lin II
Map: Mission Road and Hidalgo Avenue in Alhambra where an alleged police impersonator pulled over a Volkswagen on Friday.