A police cruiser stolen over the weekend in western Iowa was recovered Sunday in Nebraska. The 2006 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser belonging to the Council Bluffs Police Department was stolen Saturday evening, after police were called to check on the welfare of a man seen walking along the Interstate 480 bridge.
The officer gave the black male a ride to 10th and Dodge Streets in Omaha in the back seat of the cruiser. As soon as he was out of the vehicle, the man jumped in the front passenger seat and crawled across to the driver’s side and took control of the car. The fully marked cruiser was located Sunday night in west-central Omaha, not far from Interstate 680.
Authorities say the vehicle was unoccupied and appeared to be undamaged. It was towed to the Omaha Police Department impound lot for processing. The suspect in the theft was described as being in his late 20’s, six-feet-two inches tall, weighing 180-pounds. He wore a black, down-style coat, dark stocking cap and dark pants.