Man Held in Theft of Caltrans Truck
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A Berkeley man whose car broke down north of Ventura on Wednesday allegedly stole a nearby Caltrans truck and roared down the freeway until he was apprehended, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Steven Kasamoto, 27, was arrested near Camarillo shortly after the 10:40 a.m. incident, CHP Officer Dave Webb said.
Kasamoto was driving his 1989 Toyota pickup southbound on California 33, when it broke down near Canada Larga Road, Webb said.
A Caltrans truck with the keys in the ignition was parked nearby and Kasamoto allegedly jumped in and took off southbound, the officer said. He was on the Ventura Freeway near the Pleasant Valley Road offramp when a Highway Patrol officer pulled him over.
Kasamoto said he “borrowed” the truck to get to Los Angeles, Webb said.
“I don’t know what he was thinking,” Webb said. “You can spot an orange Caltrans truck anywhere.”
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