In Colorado, clumsy thieves stole a truck towing a camper with a sleeping couple inside who woke up during the reckless drive and called police.
Authorities said the suspect claimed he was “just test driving” the stolen tires when police stopped him in Boulder after a short pursuit.
Police said the incident occurred while the couple and their dog were asleep in their camper parked outside a friend’s apartment when someone broke into a pickup truck hitched to the camper in the middle of the night and made off.
“The couple and their dog remained quiet to avoid alerting the burglars they were inside and called for help,” Boulder police said in a statement.
Police spotted the vehicle around 3 a.m. and flashed their lights, but the driver refused to pull over.
Instead, the truck sped off and turned into a cul-de-sac, where police were finally able to stop it and arrest the driver.
“What’s the problem, officer? Tell me,” suspect David Bradley Metz, 47, asked as officers handcuffed him, according to body camera footage. Shared by department.
“The owner was in the back seat of the truck you just got in,” the officer replied.
“I didn’t receive it,” the suspect protested.
“I was just test driving it,” he added.
“3 a.m.?” the officer asked.
The video then shows police opening the rear doors of the camper.
Police asked the victims if they were OK, and although they were shaken up, they responded, “I’m OK,” police said.
A police spokesman told The Washington Post that there did not appear to be any damage to the truck or camper.
The suspect, who has a previous conviction for auto theft, was charged with second-degree auto theft, two counts of negligent operation resulting in death, vehicular eluding, carrying a concealed knife and failure to appear in court in a previous theft case.
He has previously been arrested three times for auto theft, including one in March in Boulder.
