A man who served jail time in Orange County in 2018 after breaking into Harvest Church in Irvine in hopes of confronting Pastor Greg Laurie was in trouble again Friday, Nov. 15, after, Riverside police said, he dressed up as a police officer and entered a barbershop in hopes of getting a free haircut.
Brandon Joseph Vielkind, 25, of Riverside, was booked into Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and violating probation. He posted $50,000 bail Saturday and was released ahead of a court appearance.
Police were called to the Much Love Barber Shop at 4950 Pierce Street about 1:40 p.m. after someone wearing a tactical vest, hat and badge entered the shop and acted erratically, a police news release said.
“The real police officers arrived and contacted the man outside where he was safely detained,” the release said.
Officers searched the man’s vehicle and located two airsoft rifles and one pistol grip airsoft shotgun modified to resemble realistic weapons. They also found several patches with police and federal law enforcement insignias.
As police checked the background of the man, identified as Vielkind, one officer recognized him from police bulletins related to the Harvest break-in. In that case, Vielkind and brother Paul Vincent Vielkind, were arrested after, Irvine police say, they entered the church while carrying an airsoft rifle and vandalized electronic equipment, musical instruments and electrical wiring.
One of the brothers was naked when he surrendered and other was wearing only underwear, police said.
Brandon Vielkind pleaded guilty to burglary, vandalism and possession of an assault weapon and was sentenced to 180 days in jail. No records could be found on Paul Vielkind’s case.
Their mother, Rhonda Hodges, said in a 2018 interview that her sons wanted to meet with Laurie to discuss her complaints of racial discrimination against her by the church.
Hodges said at the time that she had attended Harvest in Riverside for 22 years. The church denied that it discriminated against Hodges, who said she is a Native American.