SAN ANTONIO – A 23-year-old man who pretended to be a firefighter is facing a third-degree felony charge for impersonating a public servant.
An affidavit said that not only did Christopher Anthony Ruiz show up to a fire scene trying to help, he even used flashing lights placed in a black and white Crown Victoria to get there faster.
The Bexar County Fire Marshal's office said the former Ata-Bexar volunteer firefighter tried to continue his duties, even after he was released as a volunteer in March for reasons unmentioned.
The affidavit said in July, Ruiz and another former volunteer firefighter named Brian Smith were reportedly speeding to a grass fire on Pleasanton Road on the south side. The two were allegedly in Smith's black and white Crown Victoria. At one point, they turned on red and white flashing lights to get through a red light.
An Ata-Bexar volunteer firefighter said at the scene, Ruiz asked her if he and his friend could help with putting out the fire, and she told them they couldn't.
Forensic investigators searched Ruiz's and Smith's phones, where they said they found messages the two sent passing themselves off as firefighters. The two also posted pictures of the Ata-Bexar Volunteer Fire Department to social media, even after they were released as members, the affidavit said.
The report said Smith moved to California, and Ruiz was released from jail on a $15,000 bond.
