A Florida man was arrested after allegedly impersonating a Homeland Security police officer to search an apartment complex for "Mexicans" he believed were in the country illegally.
On Monday, police in Orlando responded to reports of a suspicious person at the Sabal Palm Apartment complex, Click Orlando reported. Witnesses stated that the suspect, 47-year-old Steven Donovan, was claiming to be a law enforcement officer and demanding access to one of the apartments.
He allegedly flashed what appeared to be a handgun while insisting he was conducting an immigration investigation.
When officers arrived, they found Donovan standing near a bicycle in the parking lot. He presented them with a blue card, which was later determined to be an application for a security license rather than any form of official identification.
Witnesses reported that Donovan had previously visited the complex and claimed to have seen a "Mexican" outside an apartment with a broken lock and rolled-up mattress.
Donovan insisted he was checking to make sure the individual was not illegally staying in the unit. Upon searching him, officers found a loaded 9mm handgun, ammunition, and a pocketknife.
As he was being taken into custody, Donovan allegedly claimed that police could not arrest him because he was "a cop."
Donovan was charged with falsely impersonating an officer and booked into the Orange County Jail. He is being held on a $1,000 bond and has been banned from the apartment complex.
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