Woodland police arrested a private investigator Tuesday on suspicion of impersonating a peace officer.
Anthony Vegas, 52, of Galt, was taken into custody at about 2:15 p.m. in front of the Yolo County Jail, where on several occasions last week he presented himself as a state parole agent in order to obtain information about a child custody case he was investigating, according to Sgt. Jason Brooks.
Vegas is a retired parole agent for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, but was found in possession of a state-issued identification card on which the word “retired” had been covered, “so that the front of the ID card gave the impression he was still an active agent,” Brooks said.
A clerk in the records office of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department, which operates the jail, became suspicious of Vegas’ ID and called police. Brooks said officers also found Vegas with a non-state-issued badge identifying him as an active agent.
Vegas was released with a notice to appear in court for the misdemeanor impersonation violation, Brooks said. The case remains under investigation, and anyone with information related to the probe is asked to contact the Woodland Police Department at (530) 666-2411.