NEWARK, NJ — A Newark man has been arrested on charges of robbery and impersonating a public servant after allegedly posing as an immigration officer during two separate incidents.
Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, Sr., announced the arrest of Julio Garcia Barrera, 44, of Newark, on Monday.
The first incident occurred at approximately 3:34 a.m. on Jan. 22, when a victim reported to the 7th Precinct that he had been robbed in the 600 block of North 8th Street.
The victim told police he was walking along the street when a man driving a dark-colored SUV stopped, exited the vehicle, used a flashlight to illuminate the victim, and announced that he was an immigration officer while pointing to an emblem on his sweatshirt.
The suspect then placed the victim against a vehicle, searched him, and removed approximately $500 from the victim’s wallet.
The suspect re-entered his vehicle and drove away, heading northbound on North 8th Street toward Davenport Avenue.
In a second incident on Jan. 24 at approximately 3:40 a.m., police responded to the 200 block of Berkeley Avenue on a report of a theft.
A victim reported he was walking on North 8th Street toward his vehicle parked on Bloomfield Avenue when two males exited a beige older-model Jeep.
The driver approached the victim, held a flashlight to the victim’s face, and asked if he was a U.S. citizen.
The suspect then opened his jacket and showed the victim an emblem with yellow letters reading “ICE” on it.
The suspect led the victim to a brick wall, searched him, and took his wallet, containing approximately $300, his driver’s license, and a debit card.
The victim fled the scene and reported that his debit card had been used at multiple gas stations in East Orange.
On Jan. 27, detectives investigating the incidents observed Garcia Barrera sitting inside a parked vehicle in the 200 block of 1st Avenue, where he was arrested.
