SONORA -- Tuolumne County sheriff's officials on Thursday warned residents of a man pretending to be a law enforcement official who pulled over a woman last week and detained her before letting her go.
The incident occurred about 7 a.m. July 12 in the Cold Springs area, about 25 miles northeast of Sonora.
The woman was driving on Highway 108 when the man pulled her over, said sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Wilson. His vehicle resembled a patrol car, described as a black sedan with white doors, red emergency lights mounted under the headlights and a broken mirror on the driver's side.
The man was wearing a tan shirt and pants and posing as a law enforcement official. Wilson said the man approached the woman and told her she was driving erratically.
She later told investigators that the man was wearing a law enforcement-type duty-belt but did not appear to have a handgun. Wilson said the man detained the woman for an extended amount of time before allowing her to leave.
The California Highway Patrol and the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department were notified, but neither agency reported having any personnel or vehicles in the area at that time.
Sheriff's officials described the suspect as a white man, about 45 to 55 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing about 200 pounds, with short blond hair and a receding hairline. He had blue eyes and was possibly wearing contact lenses.
Investigators ask anyone who has had a similar experience or has information about last week's incident to call the Sheriff's Department at (209) 533-5815.
Bee staff writer Rosalio Ahumada can be reached at rahumada@modbee.com or (209) 578-2394.
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