WAYNE COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) – A call to Wayne County dispatchers Friday immediately caught the attention of sheriff officials.
A woman said she was concerned after what she described a “weird” encounter with a person acting as if they were a law enforcement officer.
“I wanted to see if you actually had someone dispatched in that area,” the woman told a dispatcher. “He was in a black SUV and he did not ask for my license, registration or insurance but he wanted me to get out of the car.”
Deputies say two others, a man and a woman, also reported similar encounters.
“In both cases with the females, this impersonator asked them to get out of their cars,” said Wayne County Sheriff Captain Doug Hunter.
In a report from one of the female victims, she told deputies the man was driving a black SUV that had a one flashing red light. She said the man had a gun belt and a shirt with the word “sheriff” on it.
The man told officer he was stopped by a man driving a black Ford Taurus that had flashing red and blue lights. That traffic stop happened on Back Orrville Road. The man said the suspect was wearing a body camera with a red flashing light and a duty belt.
“When the impersonator saw the victim was a man, he turned around, went back to his car and left,” Hunter said.
The male victim told deputies that his girlfriend had been driving his car and they noticed zip ties had been tied around the door handles. He also noticed an “X” marking on the windows. Deputies say this may have been done to track the victim.
The suspect is described as a tall, white male with some facial hair.
“It appears this person is targeting women and asking them to get out of their cars,” Hunter said. “We can only speculate that might lead to some type of abduction or a sexual assault or something of that nature, so it’s very concerning.”
Those with information, or who may have been pulled over in this manner, are asked to call the sheriff’s office at 330-287-5750.
