The Anaheim Police Department announced the arrest of two teenage men accused of impersonating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to extort money from Latino victims.
The suspects, 19-year-olds Laurentiu Baceanu and Vasile Alexandru, communicated in Spanish and presented fake ICE badges to demand hundreds of dollars.
According to authorities, the pair are linked to two robberies that occurred last Thursday between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. The victims reported that the suspects fled the scene in a blue SUV. Investigative units, including Anaheim PD's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) and the Robbery-Major Assaults Detail identified the incidents as part of a pattern of similar robberies.
Later the same day, police located the suspects' vehicle, a blue Audi Q7 SUV, in Fullerton, leading to the arrest of Baceanu and Alexandru.
The suspects are currently in custody without bail. Police suspect the duo may have committed additional offenses in Anaheim, Orange County, and other parts of the Western United States and are currently searching for any additional victims or witnesses to come forward as they continue their investigation into the extent of the suspects' criminal activities.
As the investigation continues, the Anaheim Police Department has pledged to keep the community informed of any new developments and to provide resources for those who may have been affected by similar scams. The department encourages residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to help prevent further incidents.
In May, a Los Angeles judge ordered ICE officials to stop using the so-called 'Knock and Talk' tactics, a method for arresting immigrants in which field agents enter a property without a judicial warrant or consent with the purpose of arresting undocumented immigrants. The practice, the judge pointed out, amounts to "knock-and-arrest" and violates Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
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