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Originally published Monday, December 31, 2007 at 12:00 AM

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Unlucky Oregon car thief just couldn't get away

A Roseburg man had bad luck in his choice of stolen vehicles. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said Ernesto Ponce took a pickup from...

The Associated Press

ROSEBURG, Ore. — A Roseburg man had bad luck in his choice of stolen vehicles.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said Ernesto Ponce took a pickup from a Chevrolet lot in Roseburg on Friday but had to switch vehicles when a tire blew.

Ponce, 19, then allegedly took a Subaru Legacy from a driveway. He had that car for about 15 minutes before the engine overheated, causing it to catch fire at an intersection in Winston.

Jeff Herbert of Cottage Grove spotted the blaze and pulled over to help. As Herbert rushed over with a fire extinguisher, the suspect stole his Dodge pickup.

"He jumped in when I had my back to him," Herbert said. But the suspect didn't get very far. Spike strips placed by investigating officers punctured two tires, and the pickup slid into a ditch.

Ponce was arrested for investigation of unauthorized use of a vehicle, first-degree criminal mischief and reckless driving.

Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company

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