Crime & Safety

NEARBY: Man Pretended to be Cop, Reported False Incidents

By Michael Ganci

A North Lawrence man was arrested Tuesday after he made phony 911 calls and pretended to be a cop, police said.

According to detectives, on Sept. 18 at 2:05 p.m., a 911 call was made and Steven Torres, 21, identified himself as a cop in need of assistance in conducting a traffic stop in Lynbrook. As officers responded, they quickly discovered the call was a hoax.

On Oct. 3, at 3:56 p.m., Torres allegedly reported a house fire in Cedarhurst, which also happened to be false. On Nov. 14, at 11:52 p.m., he allegedly called 911 and identified himself as a police sergeant, falsely reporting a shooting in Inwood.

After an investigation, Torres was found on Burnside Avenue in Inwood and arrested without incident. 

Torres has been charged with second-degree falsely reporting an incident, two counts of second-degree criminal impersonation and two counts of third-degree falsely reporting an incident. His arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead.


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