LYNN — A man believed to be the fourth victim of Christian Alvarez, who allegedly impersonated a police officer to conduct robberies over the weekend, has come forward.
A Chatham Street resident reported a past incident to officers at the Lynn Police Station Monday shortly before 5:30 p.m., said Lynn Police Lt. Mike Kmiec.
“We believe this may be in relation to what we were dealing with (Monday) with the (person) impersonating a police officer,” said Kmiec. “It seems that another victim came forward after seeing the story.”
Alvarez, 33, of Lynn, allegedly identified himself as a police officer and displayed a badge before grabbing the wallet of a female victim on Iona Terrace on Saturday.
The victim provided officers with a description of the suspect and his vehicle, including a partial plate number, according to a statement from the department.
Lynn Police located the car a short time later on Broad Street, and when they approached the car, Alvarez drove of with officers in pursuit. He struck a parked car on Union Street, then backed into a marked police cruiser and fled the area. He then allegedly crashed into a tree on Silsbee Street, exited the car, and fled on foot.
Alvarez was arrested by Lynn Police on Union Street and transported to Mass General Hospital for injuries related to the crashes.
During their investigation, Lynn Police later received two additional reports of robberies with a similar suspect and vehicle description. During these robberies, the victims were stopped by what they believed was an unmarked police cruiser with a flashing white light. Officers observed a similar light in Alvarez’s vehicle, according to the statement.
Police believe that Alvarez may have been targeting Hispanic victims, who may be less likely to report the incidents to police, according to the statement.
Any additional victims are encouraged to come forward and report similar incidents to police.
