Handcuffed DUI suspect steals CHP cruiser; officer chases in tow truck

TEMECULA, Calif. -- A DUI suspect was handcuffed and put inside a patrol car, but moments later, he managed to steal the cruiser and take off.

It's a wild story, and fortunately, no one was hurt. The suspect was taken back into police custody for the second time wearing the exact same handcuffs.

"I was scared, and I didn't want to go to jail. That's pretty much it," said the suspect, identified as Aaron Teruya of San Diego.

The officer had just arrested 25-year-old Teruya on suspicion of DUI after he crashed his car into another driver on Interstate 15 Tuesday at 3:10 p.m. The officer handcuffed him and put him in the CHP SUV when Teruya says he passed his cuffed hands from behind his back up around his legs and climbed into the driver's seat.

"I just put the cuffs in front of me, and I got out in front, put it in gear, and the next thing you know I was driving," Teruya said.

The officer, who was talking to the other driver, flagged down a tow truck driver, jumped in the truck and had him try to chase Teruya down.

"The CHP vehicle was eventually located through a GPS signal, and it was abandoned," said CHP officer Mike Lassig.

The CHP vehicle had exited SR-76 westbound and turned onto a dirt road near Gird Road.

Teruya crashed the CHP SUV and ran into the bushes. About an hour and a half later, police found him hiding in thick brush and re-arrested him at 5:45 p.m.

There were reports that when Teruya was initially arrested, he was placed in the front seat of the CHP cruiser. Authorities say that is part of their investigation.

"They're trying to determine how Aaron was able to get into the driver's seat of the CHP patrol vehicle," Lassig said.

Teruya was taken to Southwest Jail in Riverside County and faces several charges including DUI, a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest.