Two men accused of posing as police officers while working security at a Glendale party packed with hundreds of underage drinkers have been booked into the Maricopa County jail, with a judge setting bond at $50,000 for one suspect and $7,500 for the other. Glendale police say Thomas Nickels and Alexander Alcantar pointed rifles, pistols and Tasers at multiple victims while dressed in police-style gear and private security clothing, chasing and threatening people at the underage drinking party where officers eventually found them.
According to KTAR News 92.3 FM, the case began after an officer with the Glendale Police Department spotted questionable content on social media showing the men violently chasing and threatening people. That footage led investigators to locate multiple victims who reported being threatened and chased by the pair while they operated what appeared to be a private security outfit, according to 12News. Following their Labor Day weekend arrest, Nickels and Alcantar were formally identified and now face criminal charges of aggravated assault and impersonating a peace officer, per that outlet.
Security Detail Allegedly Spanned Parties and Clubs
Investigators say the two men had participated in security operations not just at the underage drinking party where they were ultimately found, but also at desert parties and special events at gentlemen’s clubs, per KTAR’s reporting. The underage drinking party itself reportedly drew hundreds of kids, and the men allegedly helped promote the gathering while carrying rifles and other equipment. Officers responded to the party and found both men there armed and dressed in police-style gear, the station reports.
It remains unclear whether Nickels and Alcantar operated under a formally named private security business, and open questions remain about how long they worked events at gentlemen’s clubs and desert parties before police intervened. Investigators have not said whether additional victims are expected to come forward as the case moves through Maricopa County court.
State Law Treats Impersonation as a Felony
Under Arizona Revised Statutes ยง 13-2411, falsely pretending to be a peace officer to induce someone’s submission to authority is a Class 6 felony, a charge that escalates to a Class 4 felony when committed alongside another felony such as assault, according to KAWC. Arizona law also requires that all contract security guards and private security firms obtain licensing through the Arizona Department of Public Safety Security Guard Unit, a process that mandates background checks and approved training, per the agency. Providing unlicensed security guard services is itself a misdemeanor that can permanently bar someone from future licensing…