New charges filed against Hoover man accused of impersonating police, robbing Hispanics

HOOVER, Al.
Authorities have filed additional charges against a Hoover man who is accused of impersonating a police officer and targeting Hispanics to rob them.

Ryan Daniel Phebus

Hoover police Capt. Jim Coker said Ryan Daniel Phebus, 29, now faces four additional charges of first-degree robbery, one first-degree theft of property charge and another charge of impersonating a police officer.
Police announced Wednesday that Phebus was charged four counts of first-degree robbery and one count of impersonating a police officer, stemming from four separate reports on March 2 of a man representing himself as a police officer and targeting victims at apartment complexes on Lorna Road.
Police said Phebus robbed some of the victims at gunpoint and asked others for identification. In two of the cases, he entered the victims' apartments and took money from them. Each victim described the suspect as wearing a shirt or jacket resembling that of a police officer and having a police-type badge around his neck.
Police arrested Phebus on Sunday at his apartment in the 2200 block of Little Valley Road. Coker said the new charges against Phebus also arise from March 2. The new charges carry a bond of $285,000. Phebus is already in the Jefferson County Jail without bond.
Detectives continue to investigate the March 2 incidents, in addition to similar robberies that occurred in August 2011.
Police encourage any other victims of similar crimes to contact the department at 739-6730. A Spanish-speaking detective can be reached at 444-7534.