A Coos Bay woman was arrested Tuesday night after police say she stole a marked patrol car while officers investigated a burglary call in the Empire area.
Coos Bay Police Department responded to a reported burglary in progress late on the evening of July 21. Officers determined the call was unfounded, but when they returned to their vehicles, they discovered one of their marked patrol cars was missing. Dispatchers used the patrol vehicle’s GPS tracking system to locate the stolen cruiser as it headed south on OR-540 toward Charleston. Officers from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Bandon Police Department helped locate the vehicle.
Police caught 41-year-old Rhonda Hanscom of Coos Bay and took her into custody without incident. She was booked into the Coos County Jail on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle, first-degree theft and felon in possession of a firearm. Jail records show Hanscom is in custody as of July 23.
The patrol vehicle was recovered without any damage.
