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Another police imposter pulls over woman on I-79
Saturday, April 22, 2000 By Mike Bucsko, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
A man posing as a police officer reached into a woman's car Thursday and attempted to grab her on Interstate 79 in Washington County.
The incident occurred about 8 p.m. just south of I-79's interchange with Interstate 70 in South Strabane, said state police Cpl. Cheryl Amodei-Mascara.
A half-dozen women have reported to state police at the Washington barracks this year that they have been pulled over by a man impersonating a police officer.
On each occasion, the man was driving an unmarked car and the female drivers were pulled over on or near I-79.
Thursday's incident was the first in which the police imposter tried to grab the driver, Amodei-Mascara said.
The woman told police she stopped after she saw a white, unmarked car behind her with flashing blue and red lights on the roof. The man who approached her car was dressed in a gray uniform, with a smooth leather gunbelt and a pewter or silver badge.
The police impersonator told the woman he had pulled her over because one of her tail lights had burned out, Amodei-Mascara said. When he asked her to step out of the car, the woman refused, and the man, who appeared agitated, reached into the car and grabbed her shirt, Amodei-Mascara said. The man left when the woman screamed, Amodei-Mascara said.
The man was described as being about 6 feet tall, weighing about 175 pounds and having dark hair that touched his collar.
Amodei-Mascara said drivers should be suspicious if they're pulled over by an unmarked police car. State police use their shoulder patches as identification and do not wear badges and they do not ask drivers to leave their vehicles while parked on the interstate, she said.
Anyone with information regarding the police imposter incidents can call the Washington state police barracks at 724-223-5200.
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