Police arrested two men on Monday and charged them with approaching people, pretending to be law enforcement officials, then robbing them in three incidents that date back to Christmas Day.
Working together, detectives with the Asheville Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department cracked the case, according to a joint news release. Two suspects were charged with posing as plainclothes officers and initiating traffic stops in an unmarked Dodge Charge as a means of robbing them, according to the release.
The suspects and charges are:
Gregory Neal Hitch, date of birth 04/04/1980, of Fletcher, with the following:
Free Text- Felony x 2 (Impersonation of a Law Enforcement Officer)
Common Law Robbery x 2
Financial Card Theft
Second-Degree Kidnapping x 2
Bond was set at $35,000 secured.
Jason Everette Allen, date of birth 12/22/1981, of Arden, with the following:
Free Text- Felony x 2 (Impersonation of a Law Enforcement Officer)
Common Law Robbery x 2
Financial Card Theft
Simple Worthless Check
Second-Degree Kidnapping x 2
Bond was set at $70,000 secured.
The charges are connected to the following incidents, according to police:
The charges stem from the following incidents:
12/25/2008: Lookout Road, Buncombe County
A single male initiated a traffic stop on a female driver who told him that she was calling 911 to verify it was a legitimate stop. The impersonator drove off.01/07/2009: Wellington Mobile Home Park, Buncombe County
A man was pulling into his driveway at his residence when a white Dodge pulled up behind and activated blue lights. Two males exited the vehicle and approached him. They searched occupants of the vehicle, removed personal items, and left the scene.01/08/2009: Bingham Road, Asheville
Two people were pulling into the driveway at their residence when a white Dodge Charger pulled in behind them. Two males claiming to be law enforcement exited the Dodge and said there was an accident nearby and they needed to inspect the victims’ vehicle for damage. They searched the vehicle and patted down the male occupant before taking personal items and cash and leaving the scene.
— Jason Sandford, multimedia editor
Pictured are Gregory Neal Hitch at left, and Jason Everette Allen at right.
Yeah, they totally look like cops.
Well when you are an illegal alien who doesn’t speak the language you might not be as sharp as a citizen who knows what the LEOs should look like.
Are you saying that the accused men were allegedly targeting and robbing illegal aliens? Based on what do you make this statement? Is it in any way based in empirical fact? If so, where do you get your information, lokel?