Police arrest handcuffed suspect

SAN JOSE >> A 40-year-old man was found behind the wheel of a stolen big-rig in Hayward on Tuesday afternoon, hours after he was detained for a similar crime in San Jose and managed to drive off in a police car while in handcuffs, authorities said.

The unusual episode started about 5:30 a.m., when someone called 911 to report that the GPS in a stolen big-rig indicated the vehicle was stationary on Holger Way, near North First Street and Highway 237, in San Jose.

Officers found a man in the cab and arrested him, said San Jose police Sgt. Enrique Garcia. They placed him in handcuffs, arms behind his back, and put him in the back seat of a marked Chevrolet Caprice police car. The officers then continued their investigation.

Garcia said the vehicle was left in park with the motor running.

“It’s standard procedure to leave someone secure in the back of a police car,” he said.

The officers were still investigating the alleged big-rig theft when they noticed the patrol car drive away, Garcia said.

“This guy was able to clearly put the handcuffs in front of him,” Garcia said. “He was able to somehow open the door from the exterior, get in the driver seat and drive away.”

Garcia said authorities used a GPS device to track down the patrol car, which was found abandoned on the 23000 block of Clawiter Road in Hayward. No weapons were missing.

Officers searched the area for the suspect, identified as Andrew Trujillo, and found him shortly after 4 p.m. in another stolen big-rig at Mission Boulevard and Smalley Avenue in Hayward, Garcia said. The suspect had changed his clothes and was no longer in handcuffs.

Trujillo was expected to be booked into Santa Clara County Jail on multiple charges including auto theft.

Garcia said there will be an internal investigation into how the suspect managed to escape.

“At this time,” the sergeant said, “it does not appear that the officers did anything wrong. It appears they followed San Jose Police Department protocols and procedures.”

Anyone with information related to the incident can leave a tip with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-STOP (7867) or svcrimestoppers.org.