A federal law enforcement officer from Ocean Beach who jumped into a moving truck to stop suspected thieves from making off with a bicycle Friday morning, ended up going for a crazy ride.
Shortly after 7 a.m., the off-duty officer was standing on the second floor of his home, near Narragansett and Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, when he spied a man stealing a bike from his backyard and putting it in the bed of a nearby blue Chevrolet truck, according to a report from San Diego Police Department Watch Commander Tony Martinez.
The federal officer quickly grabbed his badge and identification, then went outside to confront the suspect and a female passenger who was inside the truck cab, Martinez continued in his report.
“Stop, Police,” the officer shouted, but the suspects didn’t heed the command.
“The suspects took off” and the officer “jumped into the bed of the truck as they were driving away,” Martinez reported.
The officer called for help from his cell phone, and went for a 7-mile ride that included city streets and at least one freeway, Martinez continued.
The officer was finally able to escape the moving vehicle in the downtown area after the suspects crashed it into a large concrete planter box near 4th Avenue and K Street.
The female passenger tried to flee on foot but was nabbed.
The male suspect attempted to drive off in the truck, but crashed again — this time into a parked vehicle. He fled on foot, hopped into a taxi, and made it to 600 Harbor Drive before police made the stop and arrested him.
The female suspect was identified as Arisdelsi Yoana, 23, and the man as Adan Bustos, 23; both were booked into jail on a variety of felony charges, according to Martinez.
Police say the truck was stolen.
No word on what condition the officer’s bike was in after the ordeal. His name and agency affiliation were not released.
There were no reports of injuries.