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# HESPERIA Wanna-be cop nabbed
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/hesperia-wanna-be-cop-nabbed/
- Published: 2006-08-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:19:03.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

A man dressed as a cop and driving a black SUV with a flashing blue-and-red light bar was arrested on charges of impersonating a peace officer.

Michael Vasquez, 27, of San Bernardino was arrested Wednesday after a sheriff’s deputy saw he had pulled someone over and stopped to help.Vasquez was wearing a blue jumpsuit with the word “sheriff” on the back in big black letters.

Sheriff’s Deputy John Hayes became suspicious, however, when he saw that Vasquez was not wearing a gun and didn’t act appropriately while examining the man’s driver’s license, Sgt. Rick Ells said.

Hayes called a supervisor and a check of Vaquez’s license plate confirmed that he was not a law enforcement officer.

Officials said Vasquez may have been attempting to rob people he pulled over. “We suspect he’s been doing this a while,” Ells said. “We have received information that he has stopped other people.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 26, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/082606.pdf?ref=smdp.com)