The Florida Highway Patrol arrested a woman for driving this look-a-like police cruiser in Miami-Dade County. It’s against Florida law to have a car with the same color scheme as Florida Highway Patrol vehicles. (FHP)
Some like the look of a man or woman in a police uniform. This woman apparently liked the look of a police car.
Police in Florida arrested a woman after she was allegedly caught driving a car with the same color scheme as a police cruiser. She reportedly said she had the car painted that way because she “fell in love” with the color combination.
It happened earlier this month in Miami-Dade County. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper Monte De Oca Viera was conducting a traffic stop on another vehicle when he saw a black and tan vehicle with “FSO Guard” on the sides and a light bar on the top. It had the same color scheme as FHP vehicles, which is against Florida law for non-law enforcement vehicles. The car also had “To Protect and Serve” written in tan letters on the side, along with a grill guard that looked like one installed on police cars.
De Oca Viera and his partner quickly finished the other traffic stop and pulled over the fake cop car, an arrest affidavit states. Troopers identified the driver as 28-year-old Iulia Pugachev. She told troopers she was test-driving the vehicle.
“I informed Mrs. Pugachev, the reason for the traffic stop, that no vehicle in the state of Florida can have the same color scheme as Florida Highway Patrol’s marked patrol units (Black and Tan), it was solely reserved for FHP,” De Oca Viera wrote in the affidavit.
Pugachev told troopers she did not know that and had purchased the car at an auction. De Oca Viera said trooper cruisers that are auctioned off are re-painted before being sold. Pugachev said she and her husband bought the car for employees to use at their security company, FSO Guard. She said she had a repairman at a body shop install the blue-and-white light bar.
“Mrs. Pugachev stated she requested the wrap business next to the body shop to wrap the vehicle in black and tan because she had previously seen FHP’s marked patrol units and fell in love with the color scheme,” De Oca Viera wrote.
Troopers also noted that a search of the car’s Vehicle Identification Number showed it was last registered in Louisiana but had no current registration or license plate attached, the affidavit said. The car was using dealer plates. She was taken to jail but could not be booked because of a system failure. She was uncuffed and signed a notice to appear document for a future court date.
Pugachev is facing a charge of imitation of an FHP police cruiser, a misdemeanor.
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