A Sacramento vandalism call turned into something considerably more embarrassing for law enforcement when the suspect walked up to a parked patrol vehicle, reached through a rolled-down window, and simply drove away. What followed was over an hour of multi-agency chaos stretching 40 miles down one of California’s busiest highways.
It started as a routine call. Just after 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Sacramento Police Department officers responded to reports of vandalism in the area of Marysville Boulevard and South Avenue. A woman had reported that a man appearing to be homeless threw an object at her vehicle, chased her with a stick, and struck one of her windows. Officers located a suspect matching the description and attempted to detain him. That’s where things went sideways.
The suspect, later identified as 28-year-old Isaac Paval of Sacramento, ran from officers on foot. After a brief foot pursuit, surveillance video captured what can only be described as an extraordinary sequence: Paval first tried the door of one patrol vehicle, found it locked, then walked over to a second unit with its window rolled down, unlocked it from inside, got in, and drove off while officers sprinted helplessly behind him.
It is exactly the kind of footage that leaves viewers simultaneously incredulous and amused, right up until they remember those are real cops on a real highway.
From Sacramento city streets, Paval merged onto southbound Highway 99, with speeds reportedly reaching 100 mph and a long line of squad cars in pursuit. The chase crossed county lines and covered more than 40 miles before reaching the Turner Road area near Lodi.
The stolen vehicle was, of course, a fully marked Sacramento Police Department SUV, meaning every driver on that highway had a front-row seat to one of the more surreal law enforcement incidents California has produced in recent memory.
A PIT Maneuver, a Partial Surrender, and a Shirt
California Highway Patrol officers took over as the chase moved deeper into San Joaquin County and attempted a PIT maneuver near Highway 99 and Turner Road, making contact with the stolen cruiser’s rear bumper. The impact sent debris flying from the vehicle but did not end the pursuit.
Paval kept moving.
Eventually, he began to slow on his own, opened the door of the still-rolling SUV, and stepped out onto the highway. He was wearing a shirt at that point, which he had apparently acquired somewhere between North Sacramento and Lodi.
Officers took him into custody near Lodi. No law enforcement officials were injured. Paval was transported to a hospital for evaluation as a precautionary measure and is expected to be booked into Sacramento County Main Jail once medically cleared, facing numerous felony charges.
The Obvious Question Nobody Has Fully Answered
How does a barefoot suspect on foot, already being pursued by police, end up behind the wheel of a marked patrol unit? It remains unclear whether the doors were unlocked, the keys were inside, or the engine was already running. No bodycam footage, incident report, or charging document had been released as of Friday. What the broadcast video does show is a window rolled down far enough to allow access, which raises questions that go well beyond this particular call.
Sacramento PD acknowledged the lapse, with a spokesperson telling reporters the department is reviewing the incident, evaluating what worked, what did not, and what could be done differently going forward. That is a reasonable and measured response. It also sidesteps the more pointed question, which is whether leaving a running or unlocked patrol vehicle unattended in an active scene is a procedural gap or simply a bad moment.
Criminal History and Pretrial Status Add Another Layer
Paval has a known criminal history in Sacramento and is on pretrial probation for a DUI offense. That context matters. A suspect already in the system, already on probation, managing to steal police property and lead a multi-agency pursuit down a major highway does not reflect well on any part of the chain that got him there.
It is also a reminder that the most elaborate police technology in the world does not help much if a window gets left down.
Lessons Learned
This incident puts vehicle security protocols under a spotlight that departments across the country would do well to take seriously. Modern patrol vehicles come equipped with GPS tracking, remote shutdown capabilities, and reinforced cage systems, but none of that matters if the car can be accessed by someone willing to reach through an open window.
The 40-mile chase tied up CHP resources, closed highway lanes, and put civilian drivers at real risk, all stemming from what appears to be a preventable moment of inattention. Paval faces a long list of charges. The department faces a shorter but equally uncomfortable list of questions.