Two separate incidents involving police impersonators in Carrollton and Dallas have the public on high alert this holiday season. Both cases involved men posing as officers driving unmarked cars equipped with flashing lights.

On November 21, a dark vehicle believed to be a Ford Crown Victoria flashed blue lights and pulled over a woman driving on Interstate 35 East in Carrollton, between Valley View Lane and Valwood Parkway. A man dressed as a police officer replete with a gold badge and name tag told the woman she was being arrested on warrants and proceeded to handcuff her.

Once placed in the backseat of the four-door sedan, the police impersonator sexually assaulted the woman. Carrollton police released a sketch of the suspect on November 27. He is described as a white male in his 30s or 40s with a medium build and short facial hair. He is between 5-foot-5 and 5-foot-8 with short gray hair.

Another police impersonator recently conducted a traffic-stop-turned-robbery in Dallas. Around 10 am on December 6, a man driving an SUV in the 2600 block of Highland Road was pulled over by a black Dodge Charger with flashing red and blue lights.

The fake police officer took the man's driver's license and insurance card before pointing a black revolver into the car and stealing the man's wallet. When the victim refused to provide his debit card information, the impersonator threw the wallet, driver's license and insurance card back at the man, but not before swiping $40 in cash. The suspect in that case is described as a 5-foot-10-inch, bald, light-skinned black male in his mid-20s.

If you have any reason to question the identity of a police officer, you are encouraged to call 911 and drive to a public, well-lit area before pulling over. The police car should be clearly marked and officers should have proper identification displayed at all times.

Anyone with information on the Carrollton offense or suspect should call contact Detective Teniente or Detective Gardner at 972-466-3333 or intel@cityofcarrollton.com.