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Teen charged with stealing Grand Rapids police cruiser

Posted at 5:07 PM, Jan 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-03 13:05:42-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A teen has been charged with stealing a Grand Rapids police cruiser.

Grand Rapids Police say that Alyssa Martinez, 17, was a passenger in a minivan stopped by police about 4:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day after a large fight had been reported nearby. When police stopped the vehicle, the driver, who police say was Gidalthi Reyes-Macias, 19, of Grand Rapids, ran from the scene. The two officers in the cruiser ran after the driver and caught him about a block away.

Gidalthi Reyes-Macias

While the cruiser was unattended, police say that dashcam video showed seven people fleeing from the minivan. Police say that one of them was Martinez.  She got into the police cruisers and drove away with the lights still activated.  As she drove away, she collided with the minivan causing damage to both vehicles.

The dashcam showed Martinez drive for about a mile, running several stop signs and speeding more than 50 mph. She stopped at about 11th Street and Powers. Police found the vehicle using GPS and found Martinez a short time later walking nearby.

Martinez was arraigned on charges of Unlawful Driving Away of an Automobile, Malicious Destruction of Property and Resisting and Obstructing Police. Reyes-Macias was charged with Aggravated Assault, Driving with a Suspended License and Failure to Obey the Command of a Police Officer.