Arrested Suspected Car Thief Turns Unmarked CHP Truck Into Getaway Vehicle

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A California Highway Patrol vehicle that was part of an auto theft task force was stolen by a recently detained suspected car thief.

The wild ride for Robert Gangl ended with the suspect back in handcuffs and chained to a stretcher to make sure there wouldn't be another getaway.

The CHP says he turned its unmarked blue truck into his personal getaway car. It confirms while an investigator was outside the truck, Gangle got out of his restraints in the backseat, somehow squeezed into the driver's seat and sped away.

Cops found him trying to hide in Cheryl Trevor's home.

"Well he was just running around trying to find a way in to get away from everybody," she said.

It's not an isolated incident. In December, another suspect stole a market CHP unit he was also detained inside. He led them on a pursuit from Davis to Midtown Sacramento.