The incident began about 7:30 a.m. on the 700 block of Queensway Drive when an officer witnessed a security guard chasing a man suspected of burglarizing a nearby hotel, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman.
Zapalski said the officer quickly jumped out of his vehicle and assisted the security guard in the chase. The suspect hid in bushes, then crept into the unattended police car and sped off.
The suspect was located about four miles away in the area of Cherry Avenue and Anaheim Street. A short pursuit occurred until the man ran a red light at Cherry and Anaheim and broadsided another police car, she said.
The suspect and the officer involved in the crash were both taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries, Zapalski said.
Both police cars suffered major damage, she added.
Zapalski said the suspect, identified only as a male adult, was arrested on suspicion of burglary, grand theft auto and evading arrest.