Man in custody after stealing fire truck, leading police on chase through Orange County

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- A man was taken into custody after leading the California Highway Patrol on a chase through Orange County in a stolen fire truck.

Truck 85 was stolen from UCI Medical Center around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday as firefighters were dropping off a patient at the hospital, authorities say.

Officers chased the suspect on the 405 Freeway and along surface streets in Orange County communities that included Fountain Valley and Irvine, before he finally stopped in Anaheim near Ball Road and Brookhurst Street just after 3 a.m.

Near the end of the chase, a bystander walked up and stood in front of the fire truck, placed his hand on the windshield and talked to the driver, apparently trying to convince him to surrender.

Eventually the suspect got out and crawled on the street to surrender to officers.

The Orange County Fire Authority later confirmed the man who stood in front of the truck was a homeless individual who then just walked away from the scene.

UCI police took the suspect into custody.

City News Service contributed to this report.