Authorities on Sunday detained a Texas man accused of impersonating a police officer as a means to enter a home and commit theft.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office reported on Sunday that it was searching for Salvatore Alfieri IV, 38. Alfieri allegedly showed up at a San Antonio home the previous day dressed as an officer with the San Antonio Police Department, complete with clothing bearing the department’s insignia and a firearm, according to KSAT 12 News. In photos released by the sheriff’s office, the suspect also appeared to be wearing a blue face mask covering everything but his eyes.
Alfieri demanded entry into the home, claiming that he worked for “probation” and needed to search the premises for “contraband.” Once he convinced the homeowners to comply and let him in, he reportedly confiscated their cellphones and left. He fled the scene in a Ford Escape that was later identified using local security footage.
The sheriff’s department urged the public to submit any information relevant to the case, and by Sunday it updated a Facebook post, declaring that Alfieri had been taken into custody. According to the warrant filed against him, Alfieri faces charges of unlawful restraint, interfering with an emergency phone call, impersonating a public servant, and burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony.
Alfieri was reportedly taken into custody on Sunday following an overnight search conducted by authorities, according to News 4 San Antonio.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement posted to Facebook that he is concerned that this was not Alfieri’s first time committing such an act.
“We were fortunate that this suspect did not hurt anyone in this case,” Salazar said. “However, the calm way he went about it seems like this is neither his first nor his last attempt. We felt it necessary to warn the public to be on the lookout.”
Newsweek reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
According to his LinkedIn page, Alfieri has worked as a sales manager for SimNet Wireless in San Antonio since February 2020.
Stories of civilians impersonating law enforcement, military members, or government agency employees are nothing new.
In April, a Florida man was arrested after claiming to be an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in order to get a discount at Wendy’s. The man, Jesse Stover, was detained after his attempt to claim the discount resulted in an argument with restaurant employees. Police later found a fake badge on his person while taking him into custody.
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