Jan. 13--Call it a case of professional courtesy when Tampa police tracked down a St. Petersburg police cruiser that was stolen Saturday night.
According to St. Petersburg police, about 9:27 p.m., Officers Andrew Bailey and Doug Dilla responded to a call of a domestic quarrel at an apartment complex at 980 62nd Ave. S.
Bailey arrived first and noticed a dispute taking place in the apartments' courtyard. He exited his police cruiser, leaving the keys in the ignition and the engine running. Dilla arrived in a separate car shortly after.
While the officers were handling the call, a woman later identified as Vanessa Brooks, 22, flagged down a motorist near the apartment complex. When the motorist stopped, Brooks reached into the vehicle and stole the driver's cell phone, police said.
Brooks then ran toward the apartment building where the police cruisers were parked, with her victim pursuing her. She got into Bailey's cruiser, backed it up into Dilla's cruiser, then drove away, police said.
The officers did not discover the vehicle theft until they finished handling the dispute. They alerted other units in the area, including the Florida Highway Patrol and the Tampa Police Department.
About 9:58 p.m., Tampa police officers saw the stolen cruiser in the parking lot of McDonald's, 1600 Kennedy Blvd. Brooks ran from the vehicle and was arrested a short distance away, police said.
She apparently left the vehicle in reverse before running from the vehicle, sending the cruiser into a tree in the parking lot, police said.
Officers are still assessing the charges against Brooks, police said.
Copyright 2013 - Tampa Tribune, Fla.
