Man linked to Friday robbery in northwest Las Vegas was impersonating cop

A man was robbed at gunpoint Friday afternoon when a man impersonating a police officer pulled him over in the northwest Las Vegas Valley.

The victim, who does not want to be named because he is concerned for his safety, says he has lived in Las Vegas since September and had just begun moving into an apartment complex on Sky Pointe Drive. He was leaving his new home about 2 p.m. when a black Dodge Charger with red and blue lights pulled behind him.

“I was speeding when he pulled me over, so I thought, ‘Whoops, I got caught,’” the victim said in a telephone interview Monday.

Metro officer Laura Meltzer said the impersonator in the Charger directed the driver to turn down a secluded street using a loudspeaker system.

The victim said the impersonator directed him to roll down his window, but when he only opened it a crack, the impersonator pulled out a handgun and forced him to lower the window all the way.

He said the impersonator then opened the car door, threw him to the ground, hit him in the left temple with the gun and handcuffed him.

“I thought he only took $400 from my wallet, but when I went back to check, I was missing the business card from the apartment complex with my apartment number on it,” he said. “I haven’t been back there.”

The impersonator took the $100 dollar bills but crinkled up the singles and threw them at the victim, saying, “I don’t need this.”

When the impersonator removed the handcuffs, he instructed the victim to stay on the ground until he left. He also made a threat: “If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”

The victim said he was treated at Centennial Hills Hospital for his head injury and later released.

Police said the impersonator was dressed in a black polo shirt and cargo pants and is described as a black man in his 30s who stands about 6 feet, 1 inch tall.

If people are unsure about the legitimacy of a vehicle pulling them over, they are encouraged to call 911 and to stay in a well-populated area while getting clarification from police, Meltzer said.

Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.