Nephew accused of stealing uncle's patrol car, uniform to impersonate deputy

MARION COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - When a longtime Marion County sheriff's deputy returned home from an out-of-town trip, he noticed his locked bedroom had been entered as had his patrol car. 

Investigators say Deputy Yolandy Miranda's live-in nephew, 18-year-old Isael Lima, used the patrol car to impersonate a law enforcement officer.

"When his uncle left town for the weekend, he breaks into his room -- his room was locked up -- steals his keys to his vehicle, his uniform, and all his issued equipment and goes out at 3 o'clock in the morning and pulls over a car," explained Paul Bloom with the Sheriff's Office.  "Very surprising and very dangerous, when we saw the video!"

Deputies say when Miranda reported to his boss the noticeable break-in to his room and car, his boss realized it was someone else claiming to be Miranda who showed up representing the Sheriff's Office at a Bellevue Convenience Store disturbance Saturday night.  After talking with Lima, they said they learned that a friend recorded the traffic stop.

"He told us he did this to impress his girlfriend --  drive over wearing uncle's uniform,"said Bloom.  "We charged him accordingly."

Lima was arrested and now faces eight different felony charges.