Fresno police arrest alleged fake cop

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno police have arrested one of two men who they say are posing as police officers and stealing money from victims.

Patrick Earl King was arrested and then questioned at police headquarters on Tuesday night, according to Fresno Police Lt. Joe Gomez.

Three victims have been robbed of about $2,300. Officers say the fake cops are focusing on a specific group as they leave bars.

The latest victim stepped out of La Fiesta Bar in Downtown Fresno early Monday morning and was approached by a pair wearing police-style vests and asking questions.

"As he is opening his car door, the suspects get out and accost him, ask him if he was urinating in public. He says 'no, no I wasn't doing that.' Then they push him up against the car, they search him, and as they are searching him, one of the suspects removes his wallet," said Gomez.

Inside that wallet was $1,200 that was gone once the impersonating officers returned it to the victim before letting him go.

Police say the night before, another person leaving the same bar was targeted by the same two suspects. Investigators say the thieves asked the bar patron if he had been drinking before giving him a fake field sobriety test. During the process, $750 was stolen from him.

Detectives believe the suspects are scouting out bars with customers who usually carry cash.

"They are accosting what looks like Mexican nationals that are leaving bars late at night, and we have three cases that have occurred late Friday night, late Saturday and late Sunday," said Gomez.

Fresno police say King and his accomplice were training to be bail bondsmen, and were issued some law enforcement equipment during that process. So, their techniques and gear made victims feel they were really officers.

"They were wearing raid vests, BDU pants, flashlights. They seemed like they knew what they were doing," said Gomez.

Officers say the initial report they got was from a customer who left a Central Fresno bar before the fake cops pulled him over. They said they smelled alcohol on his breath, before taking $300 from him and allowing him to leave.

Officers say they are close to identifying the second suspect who is with King during these staged scams. Investigators also say the car the suspects are driving is a newer, light-colored Chrysler that resembles a police car.