A San Diego man pleaded guilty to stealing a California Highway Patrol cruiser and leading a 10-mile freeway chase last month.
The Riverside Press Enterprise reports Aaron Teruya, 25, of San Diego, also entered pleas Monday to resisting arrest and reckless driving with alcohol or drugs.
Teruya was involved in a crash on the Interstate 15 in Riverside County March 10 when he collided with a truck pulling a trailer. He was handcuffed and put in the front seat of a CHP SUV. The vehicle did not have a cage for the suspect.
While the officer was interviewing the other person involved in the crash, Teruya hopped in the driver's seat and took off.
"I just put the cuffs in front of me and I got it out in front, put it in gear, and then the next thing you know I was driving," Teruya told NBC 7.
The officer jumped in the tow truck that had arrived and asked the driver to chase Teruya down.
In the stolen CHP cruiser, Teruya drove south on I-15, turned westbound on State Route 76 and veered on to a dirt road east of Gird Road.
Local
He collided with a rock, stopping the CHP vehicle and forcing him to take off on foot, still wearing the handcuffs.
Patrol vehicle GPS and a witness from a local tow company helped locate the patrol car off State Route 76.
After about an hour and a half later, Teruya was taken into custody.
As he was escorted to another CHP cruiser Teruya told NBC 7, "I was just being stupid and didn't really want to go to jail."
Teruya is expected to receive one year in jail when he's sentenced April 28.
