California man who allegedly stole a firetruck stopped after man stood in street, refused to move
A man who allegedly stole a firetruck in southern California and was pursued through multiple cities was stopped after another man stood in the street and called on the driver to surrender peacefully.
The driver is accused of stealing the firetruck while firefighter paramedics were dropping off a patient at the UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, California at approximately 1:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Orange County Fire Authority Fire Captain Greg Barta confirmed to Paste BN.
He was pursued by law enforcement officials through multiple cities in Orange County for over an hour, before another man in Anaheim, California, stood in the street with his hands up to stop the driver, according to multiple reports.
The man, who Fox 11 identified as Richard Lynn, spoke to the driver for nearly 20 minutes. Lynn said he stood in front of the truck because he did not want the suspect to be hurt.
Mitch Fecler, a witness to the incident, said, “It was just crazy how the homeless guy walked up in front of the firetruck and started talking to him through the windshield.”
“Finally, the guy opened the door and surrendered peacefully,” Fecler added.
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The suspect and other bystanders were not injured during the incident. Barta confirmed that there was minor damage to the truck following the incident.
The man who allegedly stole the fire truck was arrested by the UC Irvine Police Department, John Murray, assistant director of communications for UC Irvine Health, confirmed to Paste BN. He was booked into the Orange County Central men’s jail.