04/07/18 Fort Lauderdale, FL Thief got into and steals Marked Fort Lauderdale Police car – Pursuit on Powerline Road – After chase suspect arrested.

BY Wayne K. RoustanContact Reporter Sun Sentinel

A thief drove off in a Fort Lauderdale police car early Saturday — but the suspect was nabbed within minutes after a short chase.

It happened about 7:30 a.m. in the 6500 block of Northwest Ninth Avenue.

There were no reports of any injuries or collisions during the incident.

No motive or details were immediately known about how the suspect got into the patrol car and drove off.

The suspect’s name was not released but charges were expected to include auto theft among others.

Although rare, it’s not the first time a police car has been stolen in South Florida.

Two years ago, two 16-year-olds were arrested for stealing a marked Miami-Dade Police cruiser from the driveway of an officer’s home. The patrol car was found submerged in a lake about two weeks late