Two teens arrested for impersonating federal immigration agents in Orange County – NBC Los Angeles

Two men who falsely posed as federal immigration agents to defraud people out of hundreds of dollars have been arrested, Anaheim police said Monday.

Investigators believe 19-year-old suspects Laurentiu Baceanu and Vasile Alexandru targeted Hispanic victims, spoke to them in Spanish and presented a fake ICE ID before demanding cash.

Two robberies that took place last Thursday between 5 and 6 p.m. are believed to be related, police said. The victims said the suspects fled in a blue SUV.

Investigative units such as the Anaheim Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), Robbery-Major Assaults Detail and others recognized that “the robberies were connected to other, similar robberies that had occurred recently.” They also believe there may be more victims.

Hours later, the suspect’s vehicle, a blue Audi Q7 SUV, was found in Fullerton, leading to the arrest of Baceanu and Alexandru.

The suspects are in custody and being held without bail, Anaheim police said.

Investigators said the suspects likely committed other similar crimes in Anaheim, Orange County and the western U.S. They believe the suspects used different vehicles in the robberies, including the blue SUV and “a silver or gray Volkswagen Atlas SUV.”

Anyone with information regarding these robberies should contact Robbery Detective John Carey at 714-765-1973 or [email protected], call the Robbery and Aggravated Assault Unit at 714-765-1947, or contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS or www.occrimestoppers.org.