Man gets stuck 1.5 km after stealing acquaintance's car in western Ukraine

On March 22 at around 8:30 p.m., a 45-year-old local woman told officers that a “casual acquaintance” had stolen her car, which was parked near a store in the village of Klymentovychi.

“As a result of the measures taken, police officers found the stolen car about 1.5 km from the scene of the crime—the suspect got stuck in the mud and abandoned the vehicle,” the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Police reported. “The suspect himself was hiding at home. He was taken into custody.”

Police said the suspect was drunk at the time of the alleged theft. He has been charged under Part 2 of Article 289 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal seizure of a vehicle). The offense carries a possible prison sentence of three to five years.

Authorities are deciding on a preventive measure while the investigation continues.