Store Guard Posed as Officer in Extortion Plot, Police Say
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A security guard at a J.C. Penney’s store in Huntington Park was arrested Thursday after he allegedly posed as a police officer to extort $300 from a street vendor, police said.
Investigators said Jose Cruz Ouirarte, 20, approached Martin Tejeda Vasquez, 34, outside the store on Sunday. They said Ouirarte flashed his security badge, claimed to be a Huntington Park police officer, told Vasquez he was vending illegally, took Vasquez into the store in handcuffs and threatened to jail him if he did not give Ouirarte $300.
Vasquez gave Ouirarte the money, but later concluded that Ouirarte was not an officer and telephoned police, the investigators said.
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