Paterson Man Accused Of Impersonating Police Officer In Clifton

CLIFTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - A quick-thinking and suspicious driver helped authorities catch an alleged police impersonator.

At around 6:15 a.m. Friday, a woman noticed she was being followed by a white vehicle on Route 21 near River Road in Clifton.

She then heard a siren, Clifton police said.

Despite not seeing any emergency lights, she pulled over and was approached by a man who asked to see her license, according to police.

The man wasn't wearing a uniform and the woman asked to see his ID, at which point he returned to his car and drove off to a nearby parking lot, police said.

The woman drove to a nearby business. As she was parking her car, the man pulled into the parking lot next to her and sounded the siren, police said. The woman entered the building and called 911.

Responding police officers spotted a car matching the description and pulled it over.

Police said they determined that the car had been stolen just 15 minutes before the woman was pulled over and arrested the driver, Juan Almonte-Peralta of Paterson. Police say that another vehicle had been burglarized near the site where the car had been stolen.

Almonte-Peralta, 28, faces charges of motor vehicle theft, burglary, impersonating a police officer, resisting arrest, theft and receiving stolen property.

It's not clear why the stolen vehicle was equipped with a siren since it was not a law enforcement vehicle, police said.

The incident comes on the heels of New Milford police warning drivers there of an impostor with a vehicle with emergency lights trying to scam drivers out of cash.