North Charleston police seek man who impersonated police, immigration official

North Charleston police believe a man who posed as a Summerville police officer Tuesday is the same man who impersonated an immigration official and robbed two men the day before.

On Tuesday, a 34-year-old Hispanic man told police someone driving a newer model, gold sport utility vehicle parked near his driveway on Dorsey Avenue about 8:30 p.m.

A man wearing a black baseball cap, black tank top, black sweatpants and glasses stepped out of the vehicle, flashed a badge on his left hip, and claimed to be a Summerville police officer, the report said.

The suspect made small talk with the victim, saying he didn’t get paid enough for the job he did, then said he heard someone was smoking marijuana in the area, the report said.

The suspect asked the victim for his ID card and papers, which the report said he provided. Then the suspect told the man he would go away and pretend nothing happened in exchange for $20.

The victim didn’t fall for the man’s ruse. Instead, he went back into his home and dialed 911, the report said.

The suspect drove away as the victim made the call, the report said.

The suspect was described as a white man with brown hair, and tattoos on his arms and neck. He was about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds, police said.

There was a white-and-brown pit bull puppy in the passenger seat of the suspect’s SUV, along with numerous boxes of clothes, the report said.

Police searched the area but were not able to find the suspect.

A man with a similar description on Monday pretended to be an immigration official and robbed two Hispanic men.

One of them told police he was at his West Montague Avenue home when someone driving a newer model champagne colored Jeep Cherokee pulled into his driveway.

The man told police the suspect flashed a badge and asked for his and another man’s ID cards and documentation.

The suspect searched both men and took their wallets, cellphones and almost $500 in cash, then drove away toward Dorchester Road.

The suspect in that case was described as a tattooed white man with blond hair, a thin goatee, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and 140 pounds.

North Charleston police evaluated both cases and determined they were committed by the same suspect.

Reach Christina Elmore at 937-5908 or at Twitter.com/celmorePC.