Puebloans warned of man impersonating sheriff's deputy, trying to access homes

Karin Zeitvogel, The Pueblo Chieftain
·2 min read
A man wearing a black bandana, baseball cap and a shirt with a Pueblo County Sheriff's deputy patch on the left sleeve, was captured on a home security system Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The sheriff's office confirmed he was not one of their employees.
A man wearing a black bandana, baseball cap and a shirt with a Pueblo County Sheriff's deputy patch on the left sleeve, was captured on a home security system Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The sheriff's office confirmed he was not one of their employees.

Pueblo residents were warned Thursday that a group of four "suspicious persons," including one wearing a shirt with a Pueblo County sheriff's deputy's patch, have been caught on a home surveillance camera in the south side of the city in recent days.

Three men with bandanas over their faces were captured by a household's security system in the early hours of Tuesday, the sheriff's office said in a statement posted on social media. A fourth person remained in the vehicle the group arrived in — "a white SUV, possibly a Buick Encore," the statement said.

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"These individuals are not employees of the sheriff’s office," the statement said. "Our deputies would not wear bandanas over their faces, they would clearly identify themselves, they would have a badge and would have identification to show they are deputies."

A post on a Facebook group said the men had knocked on the door of a home about 5 a.m. Tuesday. "This is happening in El Camino and in Regency area," the post said.

The car the four men arrived in at a residence in Pueblo's south side was a white SUV.
The car the four men arrived in at a residence in Pueblo's south side was a white SUV.

The man with the deputy's patch on his sleeve was carrying a stun gun, it said.

"When I did not answer the door, they moved the car to the side of my house and knocked again, this time with a second guy hiding behind a column by my front door," the Facebook poster said, warning others in the neighborhood to "be very careful."

The sheriff's office said anyone who questions the legitimacy of someone who presents themselves as a law enforcement officer should not open their door to them and call 911 immediately.

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"Our dispatchers will know if a deputy is at that location," the sheriff's office said.

Anyone who knows anything about the incident is asked to call the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office at 719-583-6250. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 719-542-7867 or submitted online at www.pueblocrimestoppers.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo residents warned of man impersonating sheriff's deputy