Riverside man pleads guilty to impersonating a police officer

Bryan Alfonso Rodriguez Villareal, 29, of Corona, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of impersonating a peace officer and possession of controlled substances. The charges stem from a Sept. 16 incident where Riverside Police Department officers stopped a Ford Explorer near Magnolia Avenue and McKinley Street. Investigators found the vehicle was equipped with lights and sirens similar to marked police vehicles.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Samra Furbush sentenced Villareal to 12 months of probation and 40 days in a sheriff’s work release program. A search of the residence shared by Villareal and his brother led to the discovery of four assault rifles, five handguns, and over 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

Villareal’s brother, Alejandro Padilla Villareal, a convicted felon, was also taken into custody for alleged probation violations. He is currently being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail.