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State Police: Stolen Vehicle Suspect Steals Officer's Car

SOCORRO, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say a man detained after being found with a stolen vehicle escaped from the back seat of a State Police officer's car and drove off in it before crashing into drainage canal about two miles away.

State Police Sgt. Elizabeth Armijo said the suspect was taken back into custody Thursday after the incident that started at a truck stop in Lemitar north of Socorro in west-central New Mexico.

Armijo said the State Police commercial vehicle enforcement officer whose car was fired shots during the escape but that nobody was injured.

Armijo said the officer was investigating the stolen vehicle when the suspect stole the officer's car and that the officer and a Socorro County sheriff's deputy pursued the stolen police car.

No identities were released.