Erica Davies

More Neighbors Tell of Run-ins With NYPD Impersonator Who Walked into Queens Preschool

The cop impersonator who wandered into a Queens preschool last month has apparently been targeting other neighbors. 

After News 4 reported Wednesday that police were searching for a man with an NYPD identification card who walked into an Astoria preschool to solicit donations for a charity, more people have come forward to tell of their own encounters with the suspect. 

The man allegedly walked into three businesses on Hoyt Street in Astoria. Farhan Ali says he was behind a pharmacy counter when the man walked in early last week. 

"He said he's raising money for this kid, and I knew this guy was making fake statement," he told News 4. 

Ali said the suspect showed a badge that had the NYPD logo on it, but no name. Still, he gave him a dollar. 

At Sculptures Barber, workers say the man stopped by there, too. But the suspect didn't say anything about being a cop; instead, he suggested he was a youth basketball coach. 

"He needed to raise $800 so he was asking all of us if we wanted to donate," said barber Jesus Rodriguez.

"None of us felt comfortable," he said. "He got pissed off that we didn't want to donate to his cause, and he walked out." 

The suspect is believed to be 6 feet tall, 180 pounds with a bald head between 40 and 50 years old. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored jacket and pants with a red shirt.

Anyone with information regarding the impersonation is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit thier tips on the Crime Stoppers website.

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