Darren Porter, a suspect in a burglary in White Settlement, Texas, made an amazing getaway Dec. 7 when he apparently stole a police car while handcuffed and drove off.
White Settlement police handcuffed Porter and put him in the back of a police cruiser while they investigated the scene, but as dashboard camera video shows, the man was able to free himself from the rear of the car, get into the front and drive away.
The daring move has earned the 41-year-old suspect the nickname "Criminal Houdini," according to KHOU.
Police found out about the suspect's flight after 911 calls came in about a cruiser driving erratically. Porter spun the car out on a puddle and almost crashed the vehicle multiple times while fleeing, the Associated Press reports.
The car was later found at an apartment complex with a blown tire. Porter remained at large Tuesday evening.
A White Settlement police spokesman told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth that the cruiser's windows were not supposed to roll down.
"Unknown to us the back windows were still active so the suspect was able to hit the back window release to roll down the window and reach around and unlock the door from the outside," Lt. J.P. Bevering told KXAS. "We believe they came from the dealership with those disconnected, but they were not."
Although it seems like a risky move, suspects attempt to steal police cars with almost alarming frequency.
Last week, a North Carolina man was arrested after he allegedly stole a police car at a strip club. The AP reported that the man spoke on the car radio, telling a dispatcher he was trying to have a good time.
In November, a Utah woman was shot after allegedly stealing police car at gunpoint, according to the Salt Lake City Tribune.
In October, an Arizona man injured four people after allegedly driving off with a Salt Lake City police cruiser.
In August, a Los Angeles man lost both of his legs after allegedly stealing an LAPD cruiser and crashing it, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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