Man posed as ICE agent in SUV before robbing victims on Newark streets, police say
NEWARK, NJ — A man allegedly rolled through Newark’s North Ward in the dead of night flashing a fake ICE emblem, shining a flashlight in pedestrians’ faces, and robbing them at gunpoint, officials said, leading to his arrest after a multi-day investigation.
Julio Garcia Barrera, 44, of Newark, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with robbery and impersonating a public servant after two separate early morning encounters that left victims shaken and stripped of cash and ID cards, according to Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda Sr.
The first incident unfolded at about 3:34 a.m. on Thursday when a man told officers at the city’s 7th Precinct that he had just been stopped and robbed on the 600 block of North 8th Street. He said a man in a dark SUV jumped out, flashed a flashlight in his face, pointed to an ICE logo on his sweatshirt, and claimed he was an immigration officer. The suspect then searched him and made off with roughly $500 in cash before speeding away.
Just two days later, at approximately 3:40 a.m. Saturday, another man reported a nearly identical encounter near the 200 block of Berkeley Avenue. This time, two men pulled up in a beige Jeep, and the driver—later identified as Barrera—allegedly demanded to know the victim’s immigration status before stealing his wallet, license, and debit card. That card was then used at multiple gas stations in nearby East Orange, investigators said.
Detectives tied Barrera to both incidents and located him sitting in a parked vehicle on 1st Avenue on Monday. He was arrested at the scene without incident.
The investigation is ongoing. Barrera is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Key Points
- Newark police arrested a man accused of impersonating an ICE agent during street robberies
- Victims were allegedly stopped by a flashlight-wielding suspect posing as immigration enforcement
- Suspect was arrested days later after being spotted inside a parked vehicle