BOSTON HERALD          FRIDAY,  AUGUST 25, 2000 

Flat tire foils suspect in cop-car theft

     A Dorchester man allegedly hopped into a running Boston police
patrol car and drove off early yesterday morning, only to get a flat tire 
- and caught.

     According to police, the patrol car was left unattended "for a minute"
at the corner of Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road about 1:40 a.m.
when the man jumped behind the wheel and drove off.

     The name of the officer involved was not released.

     Lavonte Coger, 36, was later arraigned in Dorchester District Court on
charges of larceny of a motor vehicles, driving without a license, failing to
stop, negligence, resisting arrest and malicious destruction of property over $250.

     Bail was set at $750, pending a Sept. 12 hearing, but Coger was
held on a probation violation, said Jim Borghesani, spokesman for
Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph C. Martin II.
 

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