Man tries to lure woman into back alley by impersonating officer, police say

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WFSB/Gray News) - A man from Waterbury, Connecticut was arrested by police in Holyoke, Massachusetts for impersonating a police officer, according to WFSB.

Roberto Ruiz-Montanez, 51, was charged with disturbing the peace and impersonating a police officer.

The incident started around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday.

A resident flagged down an officer to report that a man was bothering a woman at a Holyoke address.

Officers who arrived on the scene learned that Ruiz-Montanez had stopped a woman by telling her he was an officer. The woman reportedly told police that the suspect approached her in a threatening manner and tried to get her into a rear alley. She said Ruiz-Montanez tried to convince her that he was an undercover officer.

An unidentified man tried to intercede but Ruiz-Montanez also identified himself as a police officer to him and told the man to leave, according to police. The unidentified male was the one who flagged down the initial officer for help.