The Associated Press
BURLINGTON, N.C. -- Authorities in Alamance County have arrested a man who they said posed as a police officer and apparently assaulted a 16-year-old girl.
Police believe Ismael Rodriguez Cruz pretended to be a police officer and abducted the girl from an Burlington apartment complex late Saturday night.
Investigators said Cruz drove to a food distribution company, where the girl was assaulted.
The teen escaped and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.
Cruz is charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree rape, two counts of second-degree sex offense, impersonating a police officer, false imprisonment and resisting arrest. He’s jailed under $750,000 bond.
Burlington Police Captain Greg Seel said no one checked to see if the suspect was actually a police officer.
Seel said even if an officer is in plain clothes, people need to ask if the person is an officer and if they can show some form of identification.