A Brick man wearing a hat marked "POLICE" impersonated a police office, pulling over a car and checking the driver's pockets, before taking $670 and fleeing, according to Lakewood police.
Michael Vence, 40, was arrested and charged with two counts of impersonating a law enforcement officer, two counts of theft, possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.
In a news release, Lakewood police described the actions that led to Vence's arrest:
On October 5, a Lakewood man walked into police headquarters to report a robbery, according to the release. He told Officer Matthew Rivera that he was driving on Cross Street when a car pulled up alongside him and the suspect ordered him to pull off the road.
After stopping, a man approached, wearing dark clothing and a "POLICE" baseball hat. The man asked for the victim's driver's license and told him to get out of the car.
The man had the victim place his hands on the car so that he could check the victim's pockets, the release said. After taking about $670, the man told the victim he was going to his car to write a ticket.
Instead, the vehicle the man was driving made a U-turn and fled the area.
Police realized this was similar to other crimes nearby.
Officer Chase Messer recalled similar robberies in Lakewood on June 27 and in Brick on July 14, the release said. The officer recalled Brick police investigated a similar incident, arresting and charging Vence.
Police determined Vence was responsible for the robberies on June 27 and the most recent one on October 5, the release said.
Police found Vence in a 2013 gray Hyundai in the Wendy's parking lot on Route 70. They found him in possession of two bundles of heroin, associated paraphernalia and "evidence pertaining to the crime of impersonating a law enforcement officer," the release said.
He was taken to Ocean County jail with a $30,000 bail, the release said.
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