A homeless man, Jairo Garcia-Hernandez, has been charged with multiple felonies including impersonation of a police officer, after two separate arrest incidents in Watkins Glen.
Garcia-Hernandez, 25, initially caught the attention of local authorities on Oct. 31 for trespassing at a business. When confronted by Watkins Glen Police, he claimed to be a sheriff, showing a fake badge and providing a false name, resisting arrest in the process. A subsequent search revealed an illegally possessed handgun, an electronic stun gun, and over $5,000 in cash.
Following his release due to New York State bail reform, Garcia-Hernandez was again apprehended by police on Nov. 7 after being spotted with a shopping cart from a local store, leading to his arrest on stolen property charges. Resisting arrest once more, he was found to be wanted on a warrant by the Rochester Police Department, to whom he was later released.
Garcia-Hernandez is now facing an array of charges from the Watkins Glen Police Department, including first-degree criminal trespass, criminal impersonation, firearm possession, weapon possession, resisting arrest, false personation, obstruction of governmental administration, and possession of stolen property. Authorities also consider Garcia-Hernandez a suspect in other criminal matters, with additional charges pending.
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