A 28-year-old man was arrested for allegedly taking a joy ride in a stolen excavator in North Park, where he reportedly crashed into multiple street signs, a streetlight and a business Sunday morning.
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Police received a report around 5:40 a.m. that the man had stolen the construction vehicle near Mississippi Street near Polk Avenue, San Diego police Officer Colin Steinbroner said. The suspect was able to get the vehicle as far as University Avenue before crashing into a business, causing $25,000 in damage, and coming to a halt, police said.
Officers arrived and found he had also damaged or destroyed five street signs, one large planter holding a large tree and one streetlight, Steinbroner said. The amount in damages to public property was not immediately available.
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Officers ordered the driver to exit the vehicle, and he was taken into custody without further incident, Steinbroner said.
Video posted on various social media platforms shows the excavator charging down a relatively empty University Avenue, crashing into objects, during the early morning hours.
The man was booked into jail on suspicion of vehicle theft and property damage.
