Stafford police: Imposter has stopped another

Stafford authorities have released a composite sketch of a man they think posed as a police officer and sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl on Jan. 31.

They also think that wasn’t the first time he has illegally stopped an area driver.

The first reported assault happened on Hope Road, near the county’s courthouse, when a man driving a police-style black 4-door Ford Crown Victoria pulled a teenage girl over, dragged her from her car to his and assaulted her, said Bill Kennedy, Stafford Sheriff’s spokesman.

On Monday Kennedy released new information about at least three other people who were involved in incidents with the assailant.

A week and a half before the Hope Road incident another person was pulled over in the “central” part of the county, Kennedy said.

There a man again used a black Crown Victoria with a flashing red light to pull a driver over, but a particular set of circumstances prevented an assault, Kennedy said.

He declined to describe exactly what those circumstances were.

And in the most recent incident on Friday night, Kennedy said two females – in which the department did not provide their ages - were driving in the “western” portion of the county when a dark-colored car pulled up from behind, started flashing its high beams and then eventually flashed a red light.

The dark colored car was never able to pull the car over, because a police car travelling in the opposite direction passed the two cars forcing the would-be assailant to turn away, Kennedy said.

Kennedy did not provide the street names of where the latest incidents occurred because they are still under investigation.

The sheriff’s department took to the streets after the Jan. 31 assault to pass out fliers to residents asking who could be driving the dark colored car.

During that time Sheriff Charles Jett informed residents that emergency vehicles have only blue lights, or a combination of blue and red lights – not the just a single flashing red light.

If residents are unsure of the authenticity of a law enforcement vehicle they are encouraged to go to a well lit or populated area and call 911, Jett said.

Attached to the composite sketch released of the assailant Kennedy included a description of him – a white male in his early 20’s, 5 feet 11 inches tall.

During the Jan. 31 assault the man wore a dark green parka-style jacket, blue jeans and thin leather gloves.

Anyone with information on the man described is encouraged to call police.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.