Man loses his wallet to police impersonator

Salt Lake City police Thursday were looking for a man who took another person's wallet Wednesday by impersonating a police officer.

About 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, a man approached a person near 400 East and 1500 South claiming he was a police officer investigating robberies in the area, said Salt Lake City police detective Jared Wihongi. The man asked to see ID. When the victim pulled out his wallet, the fake officer grabbed it and ran, Wihongi said.

Investigators were looking into whether that incident was related to a similar one that occurred several hours later. A 90-year-old man was sitting on his porch near 1500 South and 1400 East when he was approached by a man who claimed he was looking for someone and thought the elderly gentleman was that person, Wihongi said.

When the suspect thief asked the man if he could see his ID, the elderly man took out his wallet. The suspect man grabbed the wallet and ran off, Wihongi said.

The man was last seen driving off in a white or silver sedan.