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For all you would-be car burglars out there, here's a little tip: lay off cop cars.
Christopher Paul Patche, 24, of Sacramento, was booked on suspicion of burglary and unlawful gun possession after he allegedly entered the back lot of the Grass Valley Police Department on South Auburn Street and broke into a patrol car early Saturday morning.
Patche succeeded in taking an AR-15 assault rifle from an unlocked SUV and stashing it under another car in the lot. He returned to the vehicle, possibly to retrieve a shotgun also in the SUV, according to police Sgt. Joe Matteoni.
The suspect was inside the SUV when an officer spotted him.
A brief foot chase followed before Patche was apprehended.
It is unclear how Patche entered the fenced lot, although the gate may have been malfunctioning. The gate is working properly now, Matteoni said.
It appears Patche attempted to open other patrol cars in the lot before he found the unlocked SUV, Matteoni said. A civilian's pickup nearby had been vandalized, with a window smashed and screens slit on its camper shell.
The Police Department building is manned around the clock and monitored by security cameras. Police have reviewed the tapes in which suspect is seen, Matteoni said.
This was the first time someone has tried to break into the back lot of the Police Department, according to Matteoni.
To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.
Christopher Paul Patche, 24, of Sacramento, was booked on suspicion of burglary and unlawful gun possession after he allegedly entered the back lot of the Grass Valley Police Department on South Auburn Street and broke into a patrol car early Saturday morning.
Patche succeeded in taking an AR-15 assault rifle from an unlocked SUV and stashing it under another car in the lot. He returned to the vehicle, possibly to retrieve a shotgun also in the SUV, according to police Sgt. Joe Matteoni.
The suspect was inside the SUV when an officer spotted him.
A brief foot chase followed before Patche was apprehended.
It is unclear how Patche entered the fenced lot, although the gate may have been malfunctioning. The gate is working properly now, Matteoni said.
It appears Patche attempted to open other patrol cars in the lot before he found the unlocked SUV, Matteoni said. A civilian's pickup nearby had been vandalized, with a window smashed and screens slit on its camper shell.
The Police Department building is manned around the clock and monitored by security cameras. Police have reviewed the tapes in which suspect is seen, Matteoni said.
This was the first time someone has tried to break into the back lot of the Police Department, according to Matteoni.
To contact Staff Writer Michelle Rindels, e-mail mrindels@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4247.
