Roseville, Calif.- Thanks to an observant Roseville Fire Department captain, an ex-felon was arrested last week on suspicion of impersonating a fire investigator and law enforcement officer.
At 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, November 3, Roseville Fire Engine Company 3 was finishing a routine medical aid call at a care center in the 1100 block of Cirby Way, when the engine captain noticed a man in the parking lot who was wearing a fire department ball cap and t-shirt, and a badge on his belt. The man acted suspiciously, ducking behind his pickup when he saw the Roseville Fire crew. The fire captain knew of recent reports that someone had been falsely posing as a fire investigator. The fire captain called Roseville Police.
Roseville Police officers responded and detained the suspect. His pickup had been outfitted with a red dashboard-mounted light, similar to a police vehicle. A search of the pickup produced numerous police and fire department-type badges and identification cards. Officers searched the suspect and found him to be carrying a police-type collapsible baton.
Richard Wayne Barrera, 51, of Roseville was arrested on suspicion of being an ex-felon in possession of a weapon, impersonating a peace officer and impersonating a fireman. He is being held in the Placer County Jail on $40,000 bail.
The booking photo will not be released at this time due to the ongoing investigation.