Suspect steals police car and flees with rifle on foot near 35th Avenue and Indian School Road

Phoenix police.
Phoenix police.

A man was taken into custody on suspicion of stealing a Phoenix Police Department patrol car on Saturday and fleeing with a rifle from the vehicle, which he dropped while escaping, said police.

Phoenix police were investigating an aggravated assault in the area north of 35th Avenue and Indian School Road on Saturday morning when they say a man, unrelated to the investigation, "broke the window out of the patrol car and left the area."

Police say the man, who was identified as 20-year-old Isaiah Orozco, fled the scene in the patrol car and was located running from the vehicle when police took him into custody.

Officers found a patrol rifle that Orozco had dumped as he fled, authorities said.

Police have not released which charges Orozco faced.

Reach breaking news reporter Ellie Willard at ellie.willard@gannett.com or on Twitter @EllieWillardAZ.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man breaks into and steals police car and rifle in Phoenix