Man posing as officer forces way into Orlando hotel room, robs woman: OPD

Fake cop handcuffed, robbed woman: Police

A New York man is accused of impersonating a police officer who wore a fake badge when he allegedly forced his way into an Orlando hotel room.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A man wearing a fake badge forced his way into a woman’s hotel room and robbed her, according to the Orlando Police Department.

Officers responded to reports of an armed robbery at a hotel near Universal Blvd. and International Dr. The victim told police that an unknown man, wearing a "badge" around his neck, claimed to be a police officer and forced entry into her room.

She said the man restrained her with handcuffs and stole her wallet while displaying what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband. Investigators said that the hotel surveillance video corroborated her account.

Man posed as officer, forced way into hotel room: OPD

Orlando police officers responded to reports of an armed robbery at a hotel near Universal Blvd. and International Dr. The victim told police that an unknown man, wearing a "badge" around his neck, claimed to be a police officer and forced entry into her room.

Investigators used the surveillance footage to identify the suspect’s vehicle, which had been spotted in several Florida cities throughout August. Detectives traced the vehicle to a Days Inn in Miami Springs, where the suspect was identified as Michael Darren Jesse Rodriguez, 27, of Poughkeepsie, New York.