HOUSTON – A woman is facing multiple charges after posing as a Houston police officer during a robbery and kidnapping at a business in February, according to court records.
Angela Cruz has been charged with impersonating a public servant, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated robbery. Her accomplice, Jose Manuel Contreras-Garcia, is also charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery in connection with the case.
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Court records state that Cruz told Contreras-Garcia she was an undercover officer who dismantled illegal game rooms. Contreras-Garcia reportedly told Cruz that a business owner had owed him money for a year, and she agreed to help him recover it.
On February 20, Cruz reportedly went to the business, a car wash and used auto dealership located in the 300 block of Aldine Mail Road.
According to documents, the owner said he was working outside on a vehicle when a white Jeep SUV pulled up. A woman, later identified as Cruz, got out of the vehicle and asked if he washed cars. He told her no.
Records show that Cruz then reached into her shirt, pulled out a badge and a gun, and pointed it at him. She reportedly began speaking in English, but the owner could not understand her because he spoke Spanish. She allegedly motioned for him to turn around and put his hands behind his back, then handcuffed him and pushed him to walk inside the business and into a room.
The owner said Cruz asked where the money and drugs were, but he told her he had none. Cruz then reportedly searched through drawers, made a mess, and took keys off the wall before leaving him handcuffed.
A witness told detectives that he saw Cruz when she approached him. She reportedly questioned him, asking if he was a U.S. citizen, and then ordered him into the room with the business owner. She allegedly closed the door and told them not to come out until after she left.
Deputies responded to the business after the witness called 911 and began their investigation. Surveillance video was used to help identify Cruz and Contreras-Garcia.
On March 27, police conducted a traffic stop on a green Toyota Camry driven by Garcia. During questioning, Garcia was shown a photo of Cruz and identified her as a police officer he knew. He reportedly told officers that when Cruz left the business, she said she couldn’t arrest the owner because he didn’t have any illegal items. He also admitted that he had seen Cruz drinking on multiple occasions before she went into the business.
During the investigation, detectives found that Cruz was already in custody in Polk County after being arrested for possession of a controlled substance. She was questioned at the jail, where she admitted to doing a favor for Garcia by going to the business to collect the money Garcia said was owed to him. She also admitted to having a badge, gun, and handcuffs with her during the incident.
Cruz told detectives that she and Garcia had planned to commit other robberies together, including targeting a game room, before her arrest.