Unusual Arrest Detains Car Thief

An Ohio car thief is behind bars after a quick-thinking forklift operator detained him by lifting him 20 feet off the ground until police arrived.

The incident occurred at Arlington Auto Wrecking in Akron, where a forklift operator spotted a man stealing a vehicle from the junkyard, police say. The unidentified operator quickly drove over to the vehicle, scooped it up with his forklift and raised it – with the thief sitting behind the steering wheel, according to the Akron P.D. “So, he’s still in the car about 20 feet in the air in the loader,” the worker could be heard telling a 9-1-1 operator in a recording released by police. “This car’s bouncing; getting ready to flip off the forklift.”

Fortunately, the vehicle remained in its lofty position until officers arrived. The worker lowered the vehicle, and police arrested 26-year-old Akron resident Alexander Funk, a police report reveals. He’s been charged with criminal trespassing and possession of criminal tools, a spokesman says.