Police: Man Steals CHP Vehicle, Carjacks Student Shuttle At Sacramento State

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A man stole a California Highway Patrol car before pulling over and carjacking a student shuttle at Sacramento State on Friday, the California Highway Patrol said.

The CHP says Aaron David Avitan, 33, was involved in a traffic accident on Highway 50 near Bradshaw Road. At some point, Avitan took off in a marked patrol vehicle that responded to the crash.

The suspect made it to Sacramento State. There, CHP says the suspect pulled over a bus full of students from Delta College. The suspect took control of the bus and drove the students for about a mile until they were able to restrain him.

"We got kidnapped. The man pulled us over in a CHP car and made the bus driver get off the bus and took off with us in the van," said Marsha Fernando. "When he got here he told us to get out and we were like, 'No, we're not getting out.'

When the suspect had trouble identifying himself as an officer, students restrained him.

"Our adviser kept asking for his ID, his police ID, his badge number, and he acted like he didn't know what she was talking about. And that's when I said, this ain't the police," she said.

Sac State police and other agencies then took the suspect into custody.

The suspect has not been named, but he has been identified as a 34-year-old man from Vallejo.

Officers say there is no longer a danger to community. The north entrance to Sac State near J Street reopened just before 4 p.m.