19-year-old Brennan Ray thought he could get away with impersonating a police officer and kidnapping two girls. Navideh Forghani, a spokeswoman for Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, claims that the troubled teen was once a member of their “Explorer Program.”

The explorer program is made for teens who might want a career in law enforcement in the future. The program involves hardcore training as well as lots of volunteer work. Teens develop leadership skills by joining the program. By helping the sheriff’s office and giving back to the community, they are being prepared for bigger responsibilities in the future.

Ray Was Kicked Out of the Explorer Program

A year after he joined the program, he got kicked out. They kicked him out for “questionable behavior.” While other teens are happy that school is over, Ray is causing trouble around the town. He was in a black Crown Victoria while following a man around 2 in the morning. The man in the other vehicle was concerned and thought a law enforcement officer was following him for a reason. He exited his vehicle to talk to Ray, whom he thought was a cop. But before he could get to Ray, the teen sped away with his car with two girls in the back seat. The girls were scared but Ray would not let them leave the car.

Ray’s car was found near a gas station by a police officer. Police later found handcuffs, an airsoft gun, and a knife in his car. He was taken into custody and is being charged with a misdemeanor involving weapons, kidnapping, reckless driving, and being a danger to the community. Thankfully, he was not able to get away with the girls and they are safe.

Central Arizona is lucky that this incident didn’t get any worse than it did. We’re thankful that the girls are safe and that Mr. Ray is in custody.