Police are investigating the theft of a city fire engine in south San Diego that was recovered less than an hour later about 60 miles away in Fallbrook.
Firefighters from Engine Company 30 had left the engine parked in the lot of a store on Palm Avenue near 16th Street on Saturday, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. When they returned at approximately 4:35 p.m., the engine was gone, said department spokeswoman Candace Hadley.
The San Diego Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Chula Vista Police Department, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office were immediately alerted to the theft. Authorities tracked the stolen vehicle heading north on Interstate 5.
At around 5:10 p.m., sheriff’s deputies spotted the fire engine parked in the 1600 block of Loch Ness Drive in Fallbrook. An unidentified suspect was arrested at the scene, police reported.
Fortunately, the fire engine was not damaged. A thorough investigation into the incident is currently underway, Hadley added.
https://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2025/10/19/san-diego-fire-rescue-engine-stolen-south-bay-recovered-fallbrook/
