Man flashed fake badge, police say

A Downey resident’s fake LAPD badge ? purchased on the Internet to help him pick up women, he told police ? has landed him in trouble with real law enforcement officers, Costa Mesa police reported.

Pedro R. Davila, 29, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and impersonating a Los Angeles police detective after he was pulled over early Friday on the Costa Mesa Freeway (55).

Police officers stopped Davila near Del Mar Avenue at 2:25 a.m. after they noticed his grey Porsche weaving and almost crashing into a car ahead of him.

Davila earlier had chatted with police officers at the Sutra Lounge, a nightclub on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, and showed them a fake Los Angeles Police Department badge, which didn’t arouse their suspicions at the time, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Marty Carver said.

“It looked identical to an LAPD badge with the Parker Center symbol in the center,” Carver said.

According to Carver, the LAPD contracts with private companies to make badges, and it would be fairly easy to buy a good copy.

Davila told police he bought the fake badge on the Web to help him to pick up women. Details of Davila’s arrest, including his blood alcohol level, will be released after his court hearing on Monday.

After the traffic stop, Davila told officers he was an LAPD officer working out of the Downey police station, Sgt. Mike Ginther said. But when an officer pointed out that Downey has its own police department ? not an LAPD station ? Davila told police he was not a detective.

Davila is currently being held at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, with bail set at $2,500.