Man Arrested After Stolen Backhoe Joyride On Concord Streets
CONCORD (CBS SF) -- A 39-year-old man was arrested after driving a stolen backhoe around the streets of Concord on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Shortly after 2 p.m., officers responded to multiple reports of citizens regarding a tractor-like vehicle being driven recklessly on various streets.
A police sergeant located the vehicle, which was determined to be a backhoe, as a man drove it recklessly and did not stop when the sergeant tried to make contact with him.
Officers followed the backhoe through the city for about 20 minutes, closing various roads out of a concern for safety.
The man ended up on Willow Pass Road heading toward state Highway 4 and as he approached the highway, the on- and off-ramps to Willow Pass Road were closed along with the road itself, police said.
The driver, a Richmond resident whose name was not immediately released, eventually stopped the backhoe near the entrance to eastbound Highway 4 and was taken into custody on suspicion of auto theft, evading police and obstructing arrest.
Investigators determined that the backhoe was an unreported stolen piece of equipment and officers returned it to the rental company it belonged to.