Posted on 10/15/2005 8:57:55 PM PDT by SmithL
The California Highway Patrol arrested a 23-year-old man after he allegedly stole one of its patrol cars from a Livermore hotel and took it on 90-minute joy ride this morning.
The patrol car was parked with its engine running in front of the Residence Inn on Airway Boulevard as the two patrol officers were assisting with a DUI arrest about 12:30 a.m., said CHP spokesman Wayne Ziese.
While one officer was dealing with a tow truck for the car driven by the DUI suspect and the other officer was helping the passenger check into the hotel, Shaheen Pouya jumped into the patrol car and took off, Ziese said.
The man apparently kept in touch with officers by talking on the radio and triggered the patrol car's lights and sirens as he headed toward San Jose, Ziese said.
About 2 a.m., CHP cars spotted their purloined patrol car on northbound Interstate 880 near Bascom Avenue in San Jose. The driver exited Bascom and surrendered at a nearby intersection, where he was arrested on suspicion of auto theft.
While being interviewed at the Dublin CHP office, Pouya went into convulsions and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. From there, officers took him to Santa Rita Jail for booking.
Quoth the Raven,
Livermore!
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