Fake Badge, Real Crime: Man Impersonates Cop to Pull Off Spa “Inspection” Heist
At around 5:30 p.m., deputies responded to a reported robbery at a spa in Cupertino, California, where employees said a man posing as a police officer entered the business and stole cash.
According to investigators, the suspect arrived wearing a vest, duty belt, and carrying what appeared to be a handgun. He told employees he was there to conduct an inspection.
Once inside, authorities said the man unplugged the business’s security cameras and instructed employees to open the cash register. After being shown the register, he took a large amount of cash and fled the location, last seen entering a vehicle parked in a nearby alley.
No injuries were reported.
Deputies responded within minutes and, with assistance from surrounding agencies, searched the area using K-9 units but were unable to locate the suspect at the time.
Following a week-long investigation, detectives identified 32-year-old Brendan Kroning as the suspect.
On April 22, 2026, authorities located and arrested Kroning in a parking garage in San Jose. Investigators said evidence found inside his vehicle linked him to the robbery. A search warrant was also served at his residence in San Andreas.
Kroning has been charged with three counts of robbery, three counts of false imprisonment, and one count of impersonating a police officer.
Detectives said they are continuing to investigate and are working to determine whether there may be additional victims.
