Rookie Mistake Led to Fake Cop's Arrest, Deputies Say

The man accused of impersonating a police officer during a Memorial Day robbery is now facing a number of criminal charges after Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies say he made a rookie mistake.

It seems the man managed to leave latent fingerprints behind after pulling over a victim in the Seffner area Monday and telling his victim he was an officer with a warrant for his arrest. That print matched up with Macros Felix Hernandez-Gonzales, 35, of Kissimmee, according to an email to media from the sheriff’s office.

Hernandez-Gonzalez has a lengthy criminal past, the email noted. That past includes a total of 15 felony convictions out of New Jersey. A number of those convictions happen to be for impersonating a law enforcement officer and robbery, Hillsborough deputies noted.

The case against Hernandez-Gonzalez in Seffner began to unfold around 9:55 a.m. Monday when deputies say he conducted an illegal traffic stop on Jose Reyes, 34, along Clay Pit Road and Lemon Avenue.

Hernandez-Gonzalez is accused of approaching the passenger’s side of the Reyes’ vehicle, flashing phony police credentials and showing off a pistol. He then ordered Reyes out of his car and told him he had a warrant to arrest him for failure to pay child support, an email to media from the sheriff’s office stated.

Hernandez-Gonzalez then ordered the victim to place his wallet, which contained $1,000, his car keys and a cellphone into a plastic bag, deputies say. He then ordered Reyes into the back of his SUV while he searched Reyes’ car.

See Also:

• Phony Cop Pulls Over 2 Detectives
• Fake Cop Robbed Motorist, Deputies Say

Hernandez-Gonzalez is also accused of telling Reyes he would “take care of the warrant” if he produced a check stub, the sheriff’s office email stated. Reyes complied and was told to go back to his own car. As he was returning to his car, Hernandez-Gonzalez fled the scene, deputies say.

He did, however, leave a gift for real law enforcement officers behind. Prints were found on the passenger side door that matched up to Hernandez-Gonzalez. Reyes also identified him in a photo lineup, the email said.

A warrant was issued for Hernandez-Gonzalez arrest following the positive identification. Polk County deputies were able to catch up with him Wednesday morning.

An investigation continues to determine if Hernandez-Gonzalez is responsible for other recent impersonation cases in Lakeland and Haines City. For now, he faces robbery with a firearm, armed kidnapping, impersonating a police officer and grand theft charges courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

He was booked into the Polk County Jail Wednesday.

Hillsborough deputies are urging residents to take a close look at Hernandez-Gonzalez’s booking photo and to contact local law enforcement if they had any contact with him while he may have been impersonating an officer.

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

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