Man speeds off with Pueblo police cruiser after erratic outburst at local hospital
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Pueblo Police Department (PPD) says a man jumped into a police cruiser and sped off with it early Monday morning. He ultimately led police on a chase all the way into Cañon City, the department alleges.
It all began just after midnight on Dec. 22, police say. Officers were called out to CommonSpirit Health St. Mary Corwin Hospital for a disturbance. When they got there, police say they found 37-year-old Manuel Ross Trujillo "acting erratically, potentially under the influence of a substance."
Officers say they planned to just let off Trujillo with a citation, but Trujillo had other plans. In order to reduce the disruption to hospital staff and patients, police say they took Trujillo to another drop-off location where they planned to let him go.
Once they removed his handcuffs at the new location, police allege that he hopped in the passenger side of a police car, locked the car doors, and sped off.
According to the Pueblo Police Department, Trujillo led them in a pursuit until spike strips were deployed. The stolen police car rolled several times after hitting the spikes, police say.
The whole ordeal involved Pueblo County Sheriff’s Deputies, Canon City Officers, Fremont County Deputies, and a Florence Police Officer, PPD says.
The Pueblo Police Department says Trujillo faces the following charges:
- Vehicular eluding
- 2nd degree assault
- 2nd degree motor vehicle theft
- Robbery
- Possession of a weapon by a previous offender (POWPO)
- 3rd degree assault
- Reckless driving
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