ULSTER COUNTY – A man stole a police vehicle in upstate Schenectady and led police on a chase south on the New York State Thruway until he was forced to a stop near Kingston.
Forty-three-year-old Schenectady resident Ricky Izarry stole a Schenectady Police Department marked patrol SUV on Monday at approximately 6:28 p.m. from the Ellis Hospital. Izarry had been transported to that hospital by Schenectady police for an evaluation when he managed to steal the vehicle.
Schenectady Police pursued the vehicle, with State Police assisting them. When Izarry entered the southbound Thruway at exit 25, the State Police took over the pursuit. A State Police helicopter monitored the pursuit from the air as they raced south on I-87.
The pursuit continued into Ulster County, where an Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Deputy successfully deployed a tire deflation device, rendering the stolen patrol vehicle immobile.
Troopers arrested Izarry and turned him over to Schenectady Police.
Multiple charges are pending against Izarry, according to the police, including grand larceny, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, and several vehicle and traffic law charges.
