Kevin Alan Kenniston, who also goes by the alias Allen Kennington, was taken into custody at the South County Superior Courthouse Tuesday after the district attorney filed 13 charges against him which include detaining motorists for alleged traffic violations.
Kenniston’s attorney Marc Carlos entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf.
The total charges include 11 additional counts of false impersonation of a police officer along with a special allegation that the crimes were committed while the defendant was under the color of authority and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Our concern on behalf of the people of Chula Vista is that an individual under the color of authority has detained 11 people over the past 10 months and poses a significant risk to our community,” Deputy District Attorney William La Fond said.
Carlos said his client’s vehicle is clearly marked as a funeral escort business, as was his uniform, and that media sources are responsible for new victims coming forward by influencing the public with Kenniston’sprofile.
“Basically you have a lot of people who were pulled over – it could have been by police officers who may have made those comments to them at night and now they’re assuming it’s him (Kenniston),” Carlos said. “If he had contact with individuals while he was wearing this uniform and they thought he was a police officer, that’s not his problem.”
Kenniston is a four-time convicted felon and was previously arrested for police impersonation but was not convicted. He was out on $100,000 bail when he appeared in court Tuesday.
Kenniston owns a company called California Funeral Escorts, for which, he said, he uses the police-style car.
Carlos said he is licensed with the city of San Diego for the vehicle.
Judge Stephanie Sontag set Kenniston’s bail at $500,000.
This story was updated April 15.
