MDA spokesman arrested for possession of lost police ID

Badge was stolen from a Traffic Police inspector five years ago.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Magen David Adom spokesman Yeroham Mendola was arrested on Friday after being found in possession of a false police ID.
Mendola was driving on Highway 6 near Taibe, fast and with his emergency lights and siren switched on, when an officer from the Netanya police station on his way home noticed the vehicle.
The officer radioed headquarters to see if there was an emergency that could justify the road conduct, and learned that no unusual incidents were taking place.
The officer then pulled Mendola over on suspicion of dangerous driving. After learning the driver’s identity, the officer asked him for identification, and noticed a police ID badge sticking out of his documents, a law enforcement source told.
Mendola tried to evade requests to hand over the ID, the source said, before eventually giving it to the policeman.
The officer recognized the ID as false and arrested him on the spot, the source added.
Mendola was taken to the Taibe police station, where he told officers his children had given him the ID as a gift, due to his long-standing desire to become a police officer.
Police have subsequently found that the badge was stolen from a Traffic Police inspector five years ago. Mendola claimed during questioning that his children found the ID.
Police do not suspect Mendola of stealing the identification, but do plan on charging him later this week. Mendola could be indicted for impersonating an officer and dangerous driving. Magen David Adom released a statement on Sunday saying it was studying the details of the incident and would “take action in accordance with the results of the inquiry and the organization’s procedures.” Judy Siegel contributed to this report.