A parking attendant turned wannabe-cop is accused of using his pretend occupation to stalk an ex.
A 21-year-old University City parking officer is facing charges of pretending to be a police officer as he allegedly stalked an ex-girlfriend this past April.
According to charging documents filed Tuesday by the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office, the allegations against Simcha Fremerman, of St. Peters, came to light after he applied for a dispatcher position with the University City Police.
However, during the ensuing background check, a University City investigator came to learn about Fremerman's former girlfriend (who is identified only by initials in the charges) and what she described as a series of terrifying experiences before and after their breakup in December 2020.
The charging documents note, "She disclosed that on or around September 27, 2020, Fremerman held a Glock pistol to her head" and that "She was afraid he was going to kill her."
According to the ex, Fremerman later told her that she wasn't really in danger, saying, "Don't worry, it wasn't chambered."
After the breakup, the woman told investigators that Fremerman "had been following her," a pattern that carried into an April 27, 2021, incident in which "Fremerman followed her from the intersection of Hanley and Delmar, and pulled her over using his emergency lights and signals at approximately the intersection of Delmar and Geoffrey."
As a "parking controller" for University City, Fremerman had been issued a vehicle with emergency lights, a uniform and a body camera. But his duties involved writing parking tickets, not, as he allegedly told his ex after pulling her over, to discuss how he had applied for a new job and how "something came up in his background investigation."
During the incident, Fremerman removed his body camera, but, eventually, he claimed to be "on a call" and allowed the woman to leave, the charging documents state.
The investigator noted, "As part of my investigation, I obtained
footage from Fremerman’s Watchguard body camera that was consistent with what [the ex-girlfriend] told me."
The incident wasn't unique. Fremerman's ex claimed that he "tells everyone he is a University City Police Officer" and that his experience on the force included firearms training and the ability to "tap into her cell phone, among other things."
"I believe Fremerman poses a danger to the crime victim and the community," the investigator concluded, "based on the conduct involved in the case and his possession of extensive firearms."
Fremerman now faces four criminal charges, including a felony for unlawful use of a weapon for allegedly pointing a pistol at the ex-girlfriend's head last year and a misdemeanor for domestic assault.
Fremerman's attempted traffic stop also yielded charges in the form of misdemeanors for stalking and false impersonation of a police officer.
According to a press release, the case is being prosecuted by the Conviction and Incident Review Unit, an independent unit within the office of St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
"Law enforcement officers have unique powers and responsibilities in our government, and it’s irresponsible and dangerous to impersonate one,” Bell said in a statement. "If anyone else was approached by this individual presenting himself as a police officer, please contact our office or local law enforcement."
Fremerman was initially arrested in May, but was released pending an application or a warrant, which was issued Tuesday with a bond of $75,000. A spokesperson with the prosecuting attorney's office confirmed to RFT that Fremerman is not yet in custody.
Follow Danny Wicentowski on Twitter at @D_Towski. E-mail the author at [email protected]
