Man impersonating ICE agent tied woman up during business robbery in Mayfair

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man impersonating a law enforcement officer tied up and robbed a woman at a business in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia.

It happened Sunday at an auto repair shop on the 6400 block of Harbison Avenue, right next to the headquarters of Northeast Detectives.

Capt. Jack Ryan says the suspect, who was wearing a makeshift law-enforcement outfit, presented himself as an agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly referred to as ICE.

His outfit included a baseball cap with an American flag on the front, and a tactical vest with the words "Security Enforcement Agent."

"He yelled 'immigration.' Some of the employees promptly left the business. He zip-tied the female who was present behind the counter," Ryan said.

Ryan said the whole thing lasted no more than 30 seconds, with the suspect making away with approximately $1,000 in cash before driving away in a white Ford E-250 van.

While investigators say this was a case of an impersonator, Rev. Luis Cortes, CEO of Esperanza, says he feels federal officials need to be more public about their current initiatives and protocols involving ICE to help prevent other crimes like this one in the future.

"There's got to be a way to make things a little bit clearer, as well as the process to be clear, so that citizens that want to cooperate can, without being taken advantage of by people who are up to no good," Cortes said.

Ryan adds that if you are suspicious about an interaction with law enforcement, you should never be shy about asking for identification from any police officer or federal agent.

He also said federal immigration authorities don't operate solo.

"Federal immigration authorities come several people deep," he said. "So, if you have someone representing himself as Immigration, you need to take a close look at that, and they should have a badge and a corresponding ID."

Anyone with information is asked to call or text Philadelphia police at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.