Teen claims 'just having fun' impersonating police

Aug. 5—A 17-year-old Brownsville man told police he was "having fun" as he drove around the city impersonating a police officer with flashing lights on his car and using a PA system to tell motorists to get out of the way, police said.

Brian Alberto Mayorga was arrested Friday morning by the Brownsville Police Department Patrol Division and charged with impersonating a public servant, possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.

The incident occurred around the 1700 block of International Boulevard, said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesman for Brownsville Police Department.

Mayorga was seen driving a gray 1999 Ford Crown Victoria in the area with lights and sirens installed in his car along with a PA System, Sandoval said. He was driving with his lights and sirens "mimicking an emergency vehicle. He was using the PA to tell the motorists to get out of the way in a profane manner."

An undercover detective in an unmarked police car saw Mayorga and notified the department's patrol division of what was going in, Sandoval said. A patrol officer spotted Mayorga's vehicle near the 1800 block of Lincoln Street and conducted a traffic stop on the Crown Victoria.

The officer asked Mayorga why he was using the lights and sirens and disregarding the red traffic lights and, "Mayorga just replied that he was having fun," Sandoval told The Brownsville Herald.

Mayorga was taken into custody and placed in the back seat of a marked patrol unit. Police found marijuana and cocaine inside his vehicle, Sandoval said.

Mayorga was transported to the Brownsville City Jail and was arraigned Friday morning on the charges. His bonds totaled $8,500.