Police: Man was kidnapped by phony cops

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) -- New Bedford police are investigating after a man was kidnapped by two men pretending to be police officers.

Captain Steven Vicente told Eyewitness News that the abduction happened at about 10 a.m. at the Welby Park Estates apartments on Phillips Road.  Two men wearing jackets that had the word "police" written across the front encountered the victim's girlfriend in the parking lot and overpowered her, then took her back inside the apartment.

The two suspects then identified themselves as police officers, handcuffed the victim and took him away in a van.  They haven't been seen since.

Vicente said the victim, 29-year-old John Sylvia, was on probation for a prior crime and that the probation was connected to a federal cocaine charge. The man was wearing an ankle bracelet that did not have GPS monitoring. 

The two suspects are described as black men wearing dark clothing, jackets that had "police" written on them, and may have badges.  Nobody was hurt in the incident.

Anyone with information should call Detective Tyrone Jones at (508) 991-6300 x134.