Man sneaks into patrol car, falls asleep

Criminal locks himself inside car, shouts for help

Portland (KPTV) -- A 30-year-old man is accused of sneaking into a patrol car, tearing apart the back seat, falling asleep and accidentally locking himself inside.

An officer heard someone yelling from inside a patrol car parked in a police station parking lot in Portland, Ore. earlier this week. Police said the officer contacted the man, Ruben Turner III, 30, who said he had accidentally locked himself inside the unattended patrol car after deciding to sleep in it overnight. The car had apparently been left unlocked.

Turner is accused of rummaging through the glove box and unhooking the mobile data computer from its mount. Investigators said he then locked himself in the secure custody section of the patrol car in the back seat. He ripped out the foam padding from the plastic seats, police said, and caused damage described as "extensive."

At some point, in an attempt to get someone to help him, police said he wrote "Help" backwards with his finger in the condensation on a window. Police said that particular precinct is not staffed 24 hours a day and nobody was around to help him until Tuesday morning.

Turner was arrested and booked in the Multnomah County Jail on charges of criminal mischief, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and criminal trespass. The patrol car was removed from service and transported to a city repair facility. Police said the car being left unlocked was a mistake and it will be addressed.