Man’s Scheme To Impress Girlfriend Not So Impressive After All
Florida resident Isael Lima, 18, apparently needed some excitement in his life. So, he decided to steal a deputy’s uniform, equipment, and patrol car and impersonate him while the man was out of town. Lima’s scheme was discovered after detectives were called to investigate a suspected burglary in Marion County on September 24.
The real Deputy Yoandy Miranda told his cohorts at the scene that he had left town for a few days and when he returned, he noticed someone had entered his locked bedroom and patrol car, although he didn’t notice anything stolen.
A day prior to the revelation, officers were called to investigate a disturbance at a convenience store. They spoke with a man in a police uniform who identified himself as an off-duty deputy. He introduced himself to Sgt. Bobby Levay as Deputy Miranda and indicated he had witnessed a physical altercation between two individuals at the gas station. He asked for Levay’s help in the matter.
Levay, who wasn’t personally familiar with Miranda, couldn’t possibly have known the man standing in front of him at the store was actually Lima at the time but ended up putting two and two together after the actual officer told him about what had happened while he was out of town. Using footage from his body camera, Miranda identified his nephew as the perpetrator of the scheme. Lima lives with him.
When confronted, Lima admitted to everything. After all, he was caught red-handed on tape. He said he had broken into his uncle’s bedroom shortly after the man left to steal his uniform. Lima had initially put it on to impress his girlfriend, driving to her house to show off his new look. It evidently ended up being so impressive, he decided to take the ensemble to the next level. He then stole the patrol car and performed a routine traffic stop, pulling a driver over for speeding, while still dressed in police garb. Lima also admitted to pretending to be his uncle at the convenience store when he encountered Sgt. Levay.
The young adult was arrested and charged with a whole slew of crimes for his elaborate scheme, including grand theft of a firearm, grand theft of a motor vehicle, openly carrying a prohibited weapon, theft of law enforcement equipment from an emergency vehicle, burglary of a conveyance, armed burglary of a dwelling, impersonating a law enforcement official and giving a false name to a law enforcement officer. He is currently being held in Marion County jail on a $33,000 bond.
So much for wanting to have a little fun. Not exactly the same ending as in the 2014 hit Let’s Be Cops.
“I don’t think this man realized the danger he put himself in by trying to impersonate a deputy sheriff,” Chief Deputy Robert Douglas of Marion County said. “Our deputies undergo extensive, ongoing training to be able to do their job safely. Ensuring public safety and trust are our priorities and this is why we take this type of crime so seriously.”
Sources:
Florida man charged with impersonating deputy, stealing patrol car
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