MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Hialeah man was arrested Thursday after Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies said he was spotted driving a vehicle equipped to resemble a law enforcement cruiser while wearing a police-style uniform and activating emergency lights.
According to an arrest report, the incident began at the Wawa gas station at 11200 SW 248th St., where a deputy spotted a white Dodge Charger pulling into the parking lot.
The report states the Charger, which displayed a Florida specialized license plate, activated blue and green emergency lights before Enrique Perez-Palenzuela, 55, exited the vehicle and walked into the convenience store.
Deputies said Perez-Palenzuela was dressed in what appeared to be a full law enforcement uniform, wearing a badge, a gun belt and carrying a handgun.
A short time later, investigators said Perez-Palenzuela returned to the vehicle, backed out of his parking space with the emergency lights still activated and drove through the shopping plaza without stopping at multiple stop signs.
The deputy who witnessed the incident wrote in the report that Perez-Palenzuela’s actions led him to believe he was an actual law enforcement officer responding to a call.
According to the report, the emergency lights were turned off after the vehicle left the shopping plaza, and the deputy conducted a traffic stop.
When asked why he had activated the emergency lights, Perez-Palenzuela told the deputy in Spanish that he had recently purchased the vehicle and did not realize the lights were turned on, the report states.
Investigators said the Dodge Charger was outfitted with equipment commonly found on law enforcement vehicles, including emergency lights, sirens, a spotlight, a push bumper and a prisoner compartment.
According to the arrest report, based on Perez-Palenzuela’s clothing, the vehicle’s appearance and his use of the emergency equipment, the deputy concluded he acted in a manner that would lead members of the public to believe he was a law enforcement officer.
Perez-Palenzuela was arrested on charges of falsely impersonating an officer and prohibited use of certain blue lights.
As of Friday morning, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $3,000 bond.
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