Officials arrested a man after he allegedly took a marked patrol vehicle while a deputy was responding to a service call in Fontana on Friday.
Tyrone Griffieth, 32, was detained without incident after officers found the stolen car near the area of Orange Avenue and Rosewood Court in Ontario around 5:30 p.m., according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
Griffieth, an Ontario resident, took the vehicle an hour earlier while an officer was taking a report in the 14000 block of Merill Avenue, the agency said. The deputy found his patrol car missing after completing the call, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities deployed an air unit and and asked for assistance from Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana and Ontario police. They managed to obtain surveillance video that helped them identify the perpetrator as Griffieth, the Sheriff’s Department said.
No equipment or weapons were missing, officials added.
An investigation into how Griffieth took the vehicle continues.
Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff’s Department’s Fontana station at 909-356-6767. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact WeTip at 800-78-CRIME or wetip.com.