Man Impersonates Cop After Insurance Won't Pay For Crash: Police

RIVERSIDE, IL - A South Side of Chicago man is facing a felony charge after police say he impersonated a police officer days after an insurance company's decision not to pay for the damage sustained in a minor vehicle crash involving the man's sister and a 43-year-old Riverside woman.

Riverside police say Alberto Guerrero came to a home in Riverside looking for the driver of the car who was involved in a crash with his sister's car in Berwyn on May 1. Authorities say Guerrero identified himself as a Berwyn police officer when the victim came to the door and that he told the victim that she “better make good with the insurance" on his sister's car.

The victim's insurance had refused to pay for the minor damage that had occurred in the Berwyn crash, Riverside police said. Police Chief Tom Weitzel said Guerrero surrendered himself on May 6 after police tracked him using information from the Berwyn crash report.

"Guerrero is not a police officer, not an auxiliary police officer, and has no law enforcement status in the State of Illinois," Weitzel said. "There was never was a weapon, badge, I.D., or any other police-related items displayed, however, Guerrero did tell the victim he was a Berwyn police officer."

Weitzel said Guerrero told detectives that he threatened the Riverside victim in the manner of purporting himself to be a police officer because he wanted her and her husband to pay for the damages in the crash.