A suspect in the theft of a Vermont State Police cruiser and a high-powered patrol rifle inside the vehicle is in custody and was awaiting a court appearance, police said.
The cruiser has since been recovered, but the gun has not been found, police said in a news release Wednesday night.
The man was seen walking on Cherry Street in Burlington around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. He ignored commands to stop and had to be subdued by troopers, police said.
The cruiser was stolen from outside a residence in Rutland on Tuesday morning. It was later found somewhere else in the city, police said.
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Surveillance video in the area captured images of the suspect carrying the rifle, which were released by police. Tips from the public helped police identify the suspect as 29-year-old Timothy Gabriel, whose most recent addresses were in Burlington and Rutland.
He is expected to face a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court on Thursday. State police said additional charges are possible.
Investigators are continuing to look into the circumstances surrounding the theft of the police cruiser, which was assigned to Vermont State Police Cpl. Christopher Loyzelle out of the Rutland Barracks.
Anyone with information about hte case is asked to call state police at 802-773-9101. Anonymous tips can be left online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.
