In an unexpected turn of events, a Texas man was arrested after attempting to steal an unmarked police car. In addition to trying to make off with a police car, he was blissfully unaware it was filled with officers on duty. The bizarre incident unfolded when the man, apparently not recognizing the vehicle as a police car, tried to make off with it.

Police trying to bust a car thief were shocked when he tried to steal another vehicle: an unmarked police car with cops on board

Looking for logic in crime is something of a mixed bag. On the one hand, you have methodical, calculated criminals. On the other hand, you have haphazard attempts at wrong-doing, often followed by a quick arrest. This Texas man falls under the latter after trying to steal an unmarked police car with police already inside the vehicle.

According to authorities in Lakeway, Texas, license plate readers alerted local police officers to a stolen car in the area. Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems use cameras to record plate information as vehicles pass. Fortunately, the readers can identify vehicles reported as stolen. Lakeway police officers hurried to find the stolen car.

The driver abandoned the vehicle on a Lakeway road just west of Downtown Austin. Changing tactics, police officers used an unmarked police car to look for the car thief. The offender emerged, looking to commit yet another car theft.

This time, however, the Texas man turned his attention to the unmarked police car. He approached the vehicle. To the officers’ surprise, he attempted to steal it. Predictably, police officers were inside the unmarked vehicle at the time of the attempted car theft.

The man took off running with officers in pursuit. However, the foot pursuit was short-lived; officers caught up with the man and arrested him. Lakeway authorities reported that the man had another stolen vehicle in his possession at the time of the arrest.

It isn’t clear whether the car thief knew that the unmarked car was a police vehicle. However, most unmarked units have giveaway features. For starters, an undercover car likely has municipal or police department plates, not your typical license plates. Moreover, an undercover vehicle may have law enforcement equipment, like understated emergency lights, radio antennae, or a push bar.