Man set garbage can on fire, then tried to steal a firetruck, Stockton police say

A man was arrested Saturday morning in Stockton after he attempted to steal a firetruck, police and fire officials say.

Victor Voroukoumanah, 30, was taken into police custody following an incident that started about 4:45 a.m., when he reportedly was spotted pushing an on-fire garbage can up a driveway on Jill Circle, according to a news release from the Stockton Police Department.

As firefighters responded to the scene to extinguish the fire, “someone hopped in the drivers seat and tried to steal the engine,” Stockton Firefighters Local 456 tweeted.

Firefighters attempted to restrain the man as he tried to put the truck into gear, police and fire officials say, but the man resisted and struck two of them in the process. Neither firefighter suffered injuries.

Voroukoumanah was arrested on suspicion of arson, attempted vehicle theft and battery on a firefighter, according to the Police Department news release.

In a separate incident in mid-July, a pair of suspects were arrested following a more successful fire engine theft, with this one belonging to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. An 85-mile police chase ended near Lake Oroville after the truck had been stolen from a grassfire in Rio Linda, according to law enforcement officials.

The fleeing Metro Fire firetruck — worth about $1 million fully outfitted — was caught on video by several bystanders.

This story was originally published August 26, 2018 at 10:09 AM.