Deputies: Phony cops accused of robbery

Jose Aldape arrested; accomplice on the run

HOUSTON – The Harris County Sheriff's Office said two thieves pretended to be police officers in order to steal from a man.

The victim and his son were too afraid to reveal their identities because one of the men is still on the run.

However, they tell Local 2 they were selling uniforms at a tent in a shopping center in the 11700 block of Aldine Westfield Road, when Jose Aldape tried to sell them some merchandise. The pair said no, but the next week after the son left for a lunch break, the father said Aldape confronted him alone at the tent.

According to the father, Aldape flashed a badge, said he was an undercover detective and took the father's money, watch and phone. The father said Aldape then forced him into a fake police car where another man was waiting. The father said the men eventually let him go, but kept all of his valuables and drove away.

When the son came back from his break, his father told him about the cops.

"Once he started telling me the story of what had happened, right away I figured they weren't officers," said the son.

Investigators said Aldape is not an officer, but instead a seasoned criminal with a penchant for police-style goods. Court documents show Aldape is also accused of handcuffing a man, robbing him and threatening to kill his family. Aldape also allegedly robbed another man at gunpoint within a month of the other attack. His list of additional charges date back at least a decade.

Houston police have arrested Aldape. He is in jail with no bond.

Investigators are still searching for the second suspect who pretended to be a cop.