A woman who was being chased on foot after stealing a cell phone in south St. Petersburg jumped into a police cruiser that was left running, took off and wasn't caught until she was spotted at a McDonald's across Tampa Bay, police said.
The strange chain of events began about 9:30 p.m. Saturday after two officers arrived separately at the scene of a domestic dispute at an apartment on the 900 block of 62nd Avenue South.
Officer Andrew Bailey pulled up first and noticed a heated argument underway in a courtyard. He jumped out of his cruiser, leaving the keys in the ignition and the engine running, and approached the situation.
Officer Doug Dilla arrived moments later and parked behind Bailey's cruiser. He did not leave his keys in the ignition.
While the officers were busy handling the dispute, a woman later identified as 22-year-old Vanessa Brooks flagged down a motorist on 62nd Avenue South, near where the scene of the dispute. When the motorist stopped his truck, Brooks reached inside and stole the his cell phone, police said.
Police said Brooks then ran toward the apartment building where the cruisers were parked as the motorist chased her. Brooks then got into Bailey's cruiser, backed it into Dilla's cruiser, damaging it, and took off.
Not until finishing with the domestic dispute did the officers notice the cruiser missing.
Local law enforcement agencies were notified and, about 10 p.m., Tampa police officers spotted the cruiser in the parking lot of the McDonald's restaurant at 1600 Kennedy Boulevard. Brooks ran from the vehicle and was arrested a short distance away, police said.
Brooks was taken to the Hillsborough County Jail and charged with grand theft auto, obstructing an officer and burglary.