OXNARD : Thief Drives Off in Police Patrol Car

Handcuffed and placed in the back seat of an Oxnard police car, a young Riverside County man managed to squeeze through a plastic security window into the front seat and make off with the cruiser Tuesday, authorities said.

Hailing a passing taxi, officers pursued the suspected thief and found the cruiser about six blocks away. Officers, with the help of a police dog, finally caught up with the man a block away in the back yard of a residence.

Oxnard police arrested Raul Alcantar, 22, of Cathedral City on suspicion of illegally carrying a handgun, stealing a car, attempted burglary and resisting arrest, Lt. Gordon Hubbard said.

Police also arrested Gilberto Trevino, 29, of Cathedral City on suspicion of resisting arrest and illegally possessing a handgun, Hubbard said.

The incident began after police answered an 11:50 a.m. call about a man with a gun in the 300 block of North G Street, police said.

Alcantar and Trevino both dropped their guns when police arrived, and Trevino was arrested after a brief foot chase, police said.

After Trevino was taken to the police station, Alcantar was placed in the rear of a cruiser while officers took statements from witnesses, police said.

Alcantar managed to slip past a plastic security window and into the front seat, and then to shift the car into drive, authorities said.

Officer John Loredo stopped a taxi driver, and with his assistance chased Alcantar in the police cruiser, police said.

The cruiser was found parked in the middle of the 900 block of Devonshire Drive. Alcantar was finally captured in the back yard of a house in the 900 block of Robert Avenue with the help of a Port Hueneme police officer and his dog.