Man admits to stealing Miami police cruiser parked at convenience store

Rodne Joseph, 36, admitted to taking a police cruiser and a firearm from a sergeant's vehicle in Miami, authorities said. He was arrested on Tuesday and charged with grand theft of a vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, and depriving an officer of means of protection and communication.

The incident began when a sergeant parked his cruiser on Northeast Second Avenue and entered a convenience store. Upon exiting, the officer found the vehicle missing and radioed for a stolen vehicle alert. Miami Police issued a description of the suspect after the cruiser was last seen traveling northbound on Northeast Second and 77th Street.

Surveillance video showed a man walking southbound on NE Second Avenue and 55th Terrace toward the parked cruiser. Footage later captured the vehicle moving northbound. A North Miami Police officer located the unoccupied cruiser at 527th NE 137th Street during the search.

Investigators spotted a man matching the suspect description in the area of Northeast Fifth Avenue and 137th Street. He was walking toward the location where the cruiser had been found. Police detained him and identified him as Joseph.

Joseph told officers, "I saw the police car there, so I took it, I parked it there because I live there." He was taken to a hospital for minor hand injuries following his arrest.