A man was arrested early Saturday morning for allegedly stealing a San Diego Police Department (SDPD) patrol car, officials said.
According to the police department, officers were investigating a DUI accident around 5:15 a.m. at College Grove Way.
There, a man – claiming to be a witness – approached the officers under the ruse that he had information related to the accident.
Suddenly, police said the man jumped into one of the patrol cars, an SUV, and sped off. The suspect drove northbound on a nearby freeway and eventually wound up eastbound on State Route 56 in Carmel Valley.
Officers set up spike strips to stop the suspect, flattening the tires of the SUV.
At around 5:45 a.m., the suspect finally came to a stop in the stolen police vehicle in the 10000 block of Rancho Carmel Drive, officials said. He was taken into custody.
His name and further details were not immediately released. No one was injured in the incident.
