FREDERICK, MARYLAND — On Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at approximately 9:09 pm, Dep Constantine was on routine patrol in the Ballenger Creek area of Frederick County when he observed a yellow Ford Mustang bearing a Maryland license tag traveling in the Hannover development with blue LED lights flashing from the dashboard and front windshield of the vehicle. The mustang also did not have a front license tag attached which is required in the State of Maryland.
DEP Constantine activated his emergency lights and pulled over the vehicle in the Ballenger Creek Plaza parking lot.
The driver of the vehicle identified as, Miguel Angel Ralda W/M/ 29 of Frederick, immediately identified himself as a police officer and displayed an ID card to DEP Constantine. The ID card turned out to be just a business card and not an official law enforcement ID. DEP Constantine had just been briefed, earlier in the shift, about a report of a Police Impersonator operating in his patrol area. DEP Constantine believed he was dealing with that individual.
Additional questioning and information developed through the course of the traffic stop, lead DEP Constantine to physically arrest Ralda for Impersonating a Law Enforcement Officer. A search of the vehicle revealed several police related items to include handcuffs, Velcro police patches, and several badges. Additionally, 3 handguns, a tactical rifle, several loaded magazines and additional loose ammunition were located in the trunk of the vehicle.
All items were seized.
Ralda was questioned further and admitted he was not a police officer but nothing further. Ralda was transported to Central booking and charged.
