A Fake Badge and A Box of Porn

Apparently, there’s a guy posing as a cop who’s been robbing people in the area.

SPD tells us that a 46 year-old male named Ryan James Purdy (aka Tracy Byers) has been on robbery detectives’ radar since December, when he robbed several people in Volunteer Park, taking cash and credit cards, after he flashed a fake badge.

On February 10, Purdy struck again, but this time, a little closer to Wallingford.  According to the SPD Blotter:

Shortly after 2:30 pm on February 10th, Purdy’s latest victim was walking through Woodland Park—near N. 50th Street and Woodland Park Avenue N—when another man, believed to Purdy, approached him and asked him to come look at a box of pornographic magazines lying in the grass inside the park.

The victim, concerned children in the park would find the box of magazines, took the box and walked to his car. The suspect followed the victim, and got inside the victim’s car. That’s when the suspect flashed a fake badge, said he was doing a “drug sting,” and said he needed to pat the victim down.

During the pat down, the suspect took the victim’s wallet, rifled through it, and returned it to the man. The suspect then took back his box of porn, got out of the victim’s car, and the victim drove off.

About an hour later, the victim realized his bank card was missing from his wallet—and had since been used at a grocery store—and called police.

SPD doesn’t think Purdy is just sticking to the park, either:  “In a separate incident, police also believe Purdy knocked on the door of a Capitol Hill home and told a woman inside that he was a federal agent. The woman promptly slammed the door in his face.”

SPD also suggests, “If you see Purdy or know where detectives can find him, call the real cops at 911 or (206) 684-5535.”