Dispatch Audio Captures Moments After California Highway Patrol Car Stolen
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A 34-year-old Vallejo man is facing a long list of felony charges after stealing a California Highway Patrol car, then carjacking a college shuttle bus on the Sacramento State campus.
CBS13 has obtained police dispatch recordings from the CHP officer assigned the stolen squad car, the moment he watched it drive down Highway 50.
"One of the suspects just took off in my vehicle," he said.
The CHP has identified the suspect as Aaron Avitan. After stealing the squad car, officers say he drove to the Sacramento State campus and pulled over a college shuttle bus, carjacking the students inside.
"Basically hijacked us, kidnapped us," Karen Ramirez said.
"We got kidnapped," Marsha Fernando said. "The man pulled us over in a CHP car, and made the bus driver get out of the bus."
Ramirez and Fernando were two of 10 classmates from San Joaquin Delta College in the bus when Avitan got on board. They say students jumped on the suspect, putting him in a choke-hold after he forced the driver off and told the passengers he was a police officer, without showing any ID.
Passersby seeing the struggle on board also helped hold the shuttle doors closed so the suspect couldn't escape.
"And two ladies pushed the door so he couldn't get out," Fernando said.
The CHP reports the scary scene started when the suspect stole a squad car at the scene of a traffic collision on Highway 50 near Bradshaw, involving the man who would become their suspect. The officer assigned to the car was interviewing the other driver, outside his vehicle.
"Policy says you should secure your patrol car but that's something that's being looked into as we speak," CHP spokesman Tommy Riggin said.
This wild scene incredible ending with no one hurt.
