Police Seeking More Victims Of Fontana Bandit Who Dressed As Plain-Clothes Cop

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Fontana man accused of committing multiple street robberies while impersonating a police officer was in custody on Thursday as investigators tried to determine if there were even more victims.

George Turegano, 42, allegedly began committing robberies in and around downtown Los Angeles in September of 2009, according to police.

He was arrested in connection with six robberies committed through July of 2010, then was released on bail, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.

Turegano allegedly committed another robbery on March 3 at Seventh Street and Mateo Avenue in downtown Los Angeles and was arrested on April 2 by officers assigned to the LAPD/FBI Fugitive Task Force. He is being held on $575,000 bail, police said.

He would allegedly walk or drive up to victims and identify himself as a police officer. Although not wearing a uniform or driving a squad car, he would wear a badge around his neck and carry a handgun and handcuffs, police said.

Turegano would detain his victims, sometimes handcuffing them, and then search them and their vehicles. After taking his victims' money, he would run or drive off, according to police.

Turegano is Hispanic, 5'8", 220 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Investigators want anyone who he may have victimized to call LAPD Detective Freddy Arroyo at (213) 486-6840.

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