MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade police are investigating a home invasion and robbery by two men who were impersonating police officers.
According to Miami-Dade police Officer Alvaro Zabaleta, the men, who were driving a dark-colored vehicle with police lights on, pulled over a van on Southwest Eighth Street off 88th Avenue.
Zabaleta said the men, both believed to be in their 30s, were wearing police shirts and had fake badges.
"Once the demands were made to move from the driver's seat so they can take control, at that point is when he realized, 'I'm not dealing with police officers,'" Zabaleta said.
Police said the victim, Carlos Hernandez, 73, was tied up, and the men drove the vehicle back to his home, where they tied up his girlfriend, Maria Borges, 60, with rope.
Personal property, including a handgun, was taken from the home off Southwest 123rd Avenue and Sixth Street.
Zabaleta said the victim was able to untie himself and his girlfriend once the men left and called 911.
Police said the robbers fled in a silver Town & Country minivan.
"If somebody's pulling you over and it's night time, we urge you to go to a good area, if it's in the daytime, go to an area where it's busy," Zabaleta said. "If you're driving down Krome (Avenue), where you're not able to pull over, call 911, let them know that there's a police officer behind you, or what appears to be police officers trying to pull you over, and then they can confirm that identity or send a marked police vehicle to your area to help you."
Anyone with information about the identity of the robbers is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
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