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St. Cloud man accused of impersonating an officer while speeding through traffic

ORLANDO, Fla. — A St. Cloud man was arrested Friday, accused of speeding through traffic while fraudulently posing as a law enforcement officer.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper first spotted 60-year-old Hector Bonet driving northbound on State Road 417 Friday morning, going more than 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

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According to Bonet’s arrest report, the trooper noticed other vehicles on the road were avoiding Bonet’s car as though he were an emergency vehicle. It’s at that point the trooper noticed the flashing red and blue lights on Bonet’s car.

The trooper noted that there were no FHP units responding to emergencies in the area and initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle.

The trooper described Bonet’s car as a black Dodge Charger, similar to those used by law enforcement. The trooper noted Bonet was wearing a full uniform including tactical boots, a vest, and duty belt equipped with a handgun, pepper spray, expandable baton, and handcuffs.

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According to the report, Bonet was also wearing a gold star badge similar to the ones worn by sheriff’s deputies.

The trooper noted that Bonet’s appearance was so convincing that they were even made to move over by Bonet while driving a fully-marked FHP patrol vehicle.

When asked why he was flashing red and blue lights at other drivers, Bonet denied doing so and told the trooper he was simply heading to work at a jewelry store.

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Bonet was arrested and charged with falsely impersonating an officer.

He’s being held in the Orange County jail on a $1,000 bond.

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