Police: Man In Fort Collins Posed As Cop To Lure Teenage Girls
Police In Fort Collins have arrested a 39-year-old man who allegedly pretended to be a police officer in an attempt to lure two teenage girls into his car.
That's according to a post on the Fort Collins Police Services Facebook page. According to the post, the incident happened late last year when two teenage girls were walking through a south Fort Collins neighborhood at 2 a.m.
An unknown man, who police say they have identified as 39-year-old Justin Svetich, drove up in a black four-door passenger vehicle, got out of his vehicle, and told the girls to get into his car.
When they refused, he told them he was a police officer. The girls then asked to see his badge, to which Svetich allegedly replied that he didn't have it with him. He instead showed the girls a concealed firearm and claimed he was worried about their safety because they were out so late, and he again told them to get into his car.
One of the girls used the emergency app on her cell phone and told Svetich that she was calling the police. Svetich then got back into his car and drove away, according to the post.
Police soon arrived on the scene and looked for the suspect or his car, but couldn't find either one. Detectives took over the case, and through their investigation were able to identify the suspect as Svetich.
The post says he's been arrested on two counts of Attempted Second Degree Kidnapping and one Count of Impersonating a Peace Officer. Both charges are felonies. Under Colorado law, the attempted kidnapping charges carry a potential penalty of up to 8 years in prison, while impersonating a police officer could carry a penalty of up to 18 months if Svetich is convicted.
Police are asking anyone who has any information about this crime or any other incidents involving Svetich to call Detective Stuart Music at 970-416-2575.