Summary: A 28‑year‑old man, identified as Isaac Paval, stole an unattended Sacramento police cruiser after eluding officers on foot and led a pursuit exceeding 40 miles at speeds near 100 mph. The CHP took over the chase, which ended near Lodi when Paval surrendered peacefully. No one was injured, no shots were fired and no crashes were reported. Authorities stressed that unlocked cruisers and missing anti‑theft safeguards amplified the danger because patrol cars often contain secured firearms.
Barefoot Suspect Steals Sacramento Cruiser, Leads 40‑Mile High‑Speed Chase
Image Credit: NBC News
A Sacramento man commandeered an unattended police cruiser Friday, sparking a high‑speed pursuit that stretched more than 40 miles before ending in a peaceful surrender, authorities said.
The incident began just after 12:30 p.m. when officers responded to a vandalism report. A woman told police that a man had chased her with a stick and thrown a bucket at one of her tires. Officers located the suspect, later identified as 28‑year‑old Isaac Paval, and pursued him on foot across an open field. Paval eluded officers and approached two parked police vehicles.
He found the first cruiser locked. The second had a window left open; he reached inside, unlocked the door and drove away. Officers immediately broadcast a heightened threat: the stolen patrol car contained a secured department firearm, turning a routine stolen‑vehicle case into a much more dangerous situation.
The cruiser reportedly reached speeds near 100 mph as it traveled on Highway 99 and into Sacramento. The California Highway Patrol assumed the pursuit, which concluded more than 40 miles from the original scene near Lodi, where investigators say Paval surrendered without incident.
Authorities emphasized that police guidelines require cruisers to be locked whenever an officer steps away, even if the engine is left running to keep computers and radios active. Many departments also use proximity anti‑theft systems that prevent driving the vehicle without the key fob nearby—measures that could have prevented this theft but were ineffective because the cruiser was left accessible.
The greater concern for officers was not just the missing vehicle but the fact that patrol cars are essentially mobile toolkits that typically include secured firearms. Once the suspect drove off, officers had to assume he could reach the weapon, which is why the pursuit was continued rather than terminated.
Investigators say Paval never fired the police weapon, nobody was injured, and no crashes were linked to the chase. Police have not released a full list of charges; stealing a patrol car and fleeing officers generally carry serious criminal penalties.
What Officials Say
High‑speed pursuits put the public and officers at risk. Departments weigh those risks when deciding whether to continue a chase, but a stolen police vehicle that may contain a service weapon is one of the situations that most agencies treat as requiring active pursuit.
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