Police in California’s Central Valley arrested a man on suspicion of impersonating a federal agent last week. Deputies said they found in his possession a collection of crude law enforcement equipment and outfits, which they called “disturbing.”
Andrew Biscay, 40, was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a U.S. Marshal, possession of a makeshift weapon and other felonies on Friday, according to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies received reports of a family disturbance near Avenue 12 and Road 22, which led to a vehicle search where they found the law enforcement gear, much of it handmade. Biscay, 40, was arrested in connection with outstanding vandalism warrants and on suspicion of impersonating an officer.
Photos posted online by the Sheriff’s Office show a Ford F-150 with a star marking on the driver’s side door, an improvised pistol constructed with a spring-action barrel, ammunition and a fake U.S. Marshal’s uniform with coarsely painted-on credentials.
Biscay was booked on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges, and bail of $70,000 was set, authorities said.
The arrest comes weeks after Vance Boelter, 57, allegedly posed as a police officer and fatally shot a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in their home. In a March incident, a Riverside man was arrested on suspicion of pulling over unsuspecting drivers.
The recent ICE raids and arrests in Southern California have also prompted fear among many locals of law enforcement agents who flash weapons but wear no badges, no identifiable uniforms, drive unmarked vehicles and cover their faces. The Madera County Sheriff’s Office could not be reached immediately to comment on Biscay’s possible motives.
Anyone in Madera County who suspects they may have encountered a individual falsely identifying themselves as law enforcement has been asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (559) 675-7770.
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