From Bill Lindelof:
A suspected car thief who took a police bait car and then led police on a bloody chase through a neighborhood is in custody.
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said that about 3:30 a.m. a man in Arden Arcade got into a bait car, which is a vehicle with a remote controlled immobilizer that allows officers to bring it to a stop.
The thief drove from the area near Northrop Avenue and Bell Street to southbound Watt Avenue, where a deputy spotted the decoy car.
When deputies made the vehicle engine impossible to operate -- and caused doors to lock -- the thief punched out the back window, cutting his hand.
The suspect ran from the area of the light rail station near Watt Avenue and Folsom Boulevard. Deputies and Sacramento police units, including some with dogs, searched the area. Officers followed a trail of blood on fences and door knobs left by the suspect as he tried to escape.
At one point, the suspect started to discard clothing. Officers also found a wallet that may be the suspect's.
At 5:30 a.m. the suspect was found hiding in a car in a driveway in the 8300 block of Talisman Drive. He was taken to the hospital suffering from a cut to his hand and police dog bites.
Curran said the suspect would be booked on suspicion of car theft and resisting arrest.









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