Woman Impersonates Cop, Gropes Female Customer Outside Bar

A California woman, accused of posing as a police officer and groping another woman outside a bar in Tustin in September, was arrested Thursday.

Denise Christine Latta, 54, was taken into custody by Tustin Department’s Investigations Unit and Special Response team following an investigation into the incident that took place on Sept.13.

Police said Latta entered the bar, approached the female victim and a bartender after flashing an official-looking badge. She then asked the female victim her name and demanded her identification card before grabbing it and cutting it into several pieces with scissors.

“Both the bartender and the victim believed Latta was some sort of law enforcement,” the police department said in a statement.

She then pushed the victim out of the bar and forced her “to put her hands on a wall and spread her feet.” Latte then groped her breasts and groin over the clothing during the “search.” She then demanded the victim leave and never come back to the bar.

Tustin police Lt. Bob Wright said when Latta was taken into custody, “she was in possession of fake badges, identification cards that read ‘agent’, and clothing that read ‘fugitive recovery agent’.” She also claimed to be a private detective and bail enforcement officer, however, could not prove her claims.

"Latta was also in possession of several items that led detectives to believe this may not be an isolated incident," the statement said.

Latta was charged with “kidnapping, robbery, false imprisonment, sexual battery, and impersonating a police officer” and was held in the Orange County Jail pending bail of $100,000. She will appear in court Monday.

Anyone who had a suspicious encounter with Latta was asked to contact Tustin police Detective R. Newton at 714-573-3249.

In a similar incident in August, a Pennsylvania man was charged with impersonating a police officer and attempting to pull over a car. A criminal complaint stated the victim was driving when he heard honking from behind. He then noticed the car continued to follow him through the turns. The driver of the car then activated red and blue LED lights. He “immediately thought he was being pulled over by an unmarked police vehicle.”

He then stopped the vehicle. However, when he noticed the car had a New Jersey license plate, he fled to call 911 suspecting the driver was not a real police officer.

The car continued to follow him and at a stop sign, the driver of the car got out and approached the victim. He was holding a red steering-wheel lock. The victim again fled and the driver of the car continued to follow him for a distance.

The victim approached the police and gave a description of the man. The victim’s car had cameras which helped police identify the license plate number. Police went to the man’s house and took him into custody, The Morning Call reported.