Recognize This Police Imposter?

Investigators today stepped up their search for an armed man who impersonated a police officer while fondling two women in separate incidents in the Hollywood area.

The man approached a victim in the 6100 block of De Longpre Avenue on Nov. 24 as she was searching for her keys, according the Los Angeles Police Department.

The man produced a badge and identification, told the victim to get against a wall and then searched her while fondling her breasts and buttocks, police said.

He then pulled a handgun from his waistband and warned the woman that he would shoot her if she screamed, police said. He then fled.

“He has a distinct tattoo on his left temple,” LAPD Detective DeAnn Maltos told reporters this morning. “It appears to be the letter F. And he also has a second tattoo coming down from his eye, which appears to be symbols or letters.”

Since police appealed for public help to solve the crime Tuesday night, more than a dozen other women have called investigators to say they think they may have had an encounter with him, CBS2 reported.

“It’s very disturbing that this person is using authority to try to manipulate women into positions where he can take advantage of them,” Maltos said.

On Monday, the man followed a woman into her parking area in the 500 block of Kingsley Drive in East Hollywood and approached her vehicle, police said.

He pressed a badge against her vehicle’s window and told the woman her registration was expired, police said. He ordered the woman out of the vehicle and had her open her trunk, saying he needed to search for weapons, police said.

The man then ordered the woman against a wall for a pat-down search, during which he fondled her inner thighs and buttocks several times, police said.

The victim said she believed the suspect had a gun holster on his hip.

The suspect is described as black, 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet 3 inches tall, 230 to 280 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was possibly driving a black Ford Mustang in the first incident and a purple Cadillac in the second.

Anyone with information about the suspect was urged to call Detective Maltos at (213) 473-0447. Anonymous tips can be provided by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

City News Service