Rockford, Illinois - Prisoner Steals Squad Car - Found by K-9 - After Chase

Rockford man arrested after chase
Police say Shawn R. Rampat crawled into the front seat of a squad car through a metal cage and drove away in it.

By Mike Wiser
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR


ROCKFORD — It took a lot of guts and a little skill.

Or maybe it was a lack of brains and dumb luck.

Either way, the guy who stole a cop car Wednesday morning will have quite a story to share with his cellmates.
 

Shawn R. Rampat of Rockford was in the Winnebago County Jail on $5,000 bond facing charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, forgery and escape Wednesday after, what police say, was his early-morning jaunt behind the wheel of a police cruiser.
Rampat first came to the attention of police Wednesday morning as a suspect in a forgery case at Hucks Now gas station in the 2500 block of Stowmarket Avenue.

Rampat allegedly passed a forged check to pay for some gas. The clerk at the store alerted police, who arrived with two squads, Rockford police Lt. Joe Rinaldo said.

During the investigation, Rampat was placed in the back of Officer Lynn Cochrans squad car.   Cochran, an 11-year veteran of the department, left her squad to compare notes with the other officer who had two others in his squad car.

Rinaldo said thats when Rampat stuck his arm through an opening between the front seat back and the metal cage that separates passengers from the police.

He was apparently able to hit the side button and push the seat up, then squeeze between the cage and the seat back to get into the front portion of the squad.

The keys were still inside, so Rampat drove off.

Police called in extra officers to look for the missing car, which was found abandoned at Easton Parkway just north of Eastwood Road.

Nick Faerber, 23, spotted it there about 9 a.m.

He thought an officer was in trouble — the car was smoking — so he pulled over to help. That's when the man behind the wheel hopped out and tore through some bushes.

Faerber called 911.

I was going to run after him, but I didnt know if he had a gun, he said

Police responded with canine officers and followed a trail to an apartment in the 4800 block of Javelin Drive.

We told him that we knew he was in there, but he wouldn't come out, Rinaldo said. He called the landlord, who opened the apartment, and they found Rampat hiding in the basement.

He put up quite a fight, Rinaldo said. It took several officers to get him out.

He said its unlikely Cochran will face any disciplinary action because she did not act negligently.

He added that the ordeal was a good example of what police and the public working together.

You know, they pointed us in the right direction, Rinaldo said.

They called us and said, He went this way. That's really community policing. That's how its supposed to work.

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