Aug. 08--Two teenagers stole a fire truck, crashed it, then brought it back to the Monroe Volunteer Fire Department before stealing another fire truck and getting arrested after driving past an off-duty deputy's house, police say.
LeFlore County Sheriff Rob Seale said two 17-year-old males broke into the Monroe fire station sometime before 10 p.m. Thursday and stole a brush truck. They drove from Oklahoma 83 to Poteau Mountain Road just outside of Monroe, where they crashed the fire truck into a tree, Seale said.
The teenagers returned the damaged truck to the fire station before stealing a second vehicle, a pumper truck, and driving it into the Poteau city limits, Seale said.
With sirens blaring and emergency lights on, the two drove toward an off-duty deputy's home, where they stopped. The deputy saw the engine, which at that point had been reported stolen, and got into his personal vehicle after the fire truck started moving again. The deputy called Poteau police, who assisted in following the stolen truck, Seale said.
The teenagers parked the vehicle at the Poteau Tag Agency on North Broadway Street, where they were taken into custody.
Both teenagers were arrested on suspicion of burglary, two counts of motor-vehicle theft and malicious damage to property. One of the boys was arrested on suspicion of public drunkenness, and the other with suspected DUI, Seale said.
Deputies are unsure how the teenagers got into the fire station.
"Somehow or another they got the code," Seale said. "We're trying to figure out how they did that."
Both teens appeared before a judge Friday morning. One was taken to juvenile detention in Muskogee, and the other in Talihina, according to Seale.
Seale said deputies spoke with the parents of both boys.
"I'm sure they were less than thrilled," he said.
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