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Police Impersonator Vehicle Destroyed

By Kelly Werthmann

DENVER (CBS4)- If you've ever thought about using your car to impersonate a police officer, you may want to think again.

"This car will never be used again," Denver Police Sgt. Bobby Waidler said before a Chevy Impala was destroyed Thursday afternoon. "It will never be driven on the street again to victimize another person."

Before crunching the car, Denver police first crushed the former driver's plans for the cruiser. Robert Montoya, 48, outfitted the Impala with blue and white lights, put a scanner on the dash and mounted a laptop on a stand near the driver's seat.

Robert Montoya, 47
Robert Montoya (credit: Denver Police Department)

Then on Sept. 5, 2015, Montoya tried to pull over a car on Interstate 25. Turns out it was an unmarked police vehicle with a real Denver detective inside. Officers eventually arrested Montoya for posing as a law enforcement agent.

"From my understanding he pleaded guilty to the crime," Waidler told CBS4.

Under the Nuisance Abatement Law, police confiscated the Impala to have it destroyed at Iron & Metals. Instead of selling the used car, authorities had it sheared to pieces and piles of scrap metal to send a message.

"If you're thinking of committing a crime or if you do commit a crime of this nature, it has criminal consequences," Waidler said. "It's also going to have financial consequences and civil consequences as well. The police department's mission is crime prevention. Basically, we want to prevent another crime over even selling this car at an auction for profit."

Robert Montoya police impersonator
(credit: Denver Police Department)

The other items found inside Montoya's car were also destroyed. Iron & Metals will eventually sell the salvageable metal and car parts.

According to Waidler, this is only the second time Denver Police has had a vehicle destroyed under the Nuisance Abatement Law.

Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now reports for CBS4 News at 10 and is always open to story ideas. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.

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