A nearly naked homeless man was arrested yesterday after reportedly stealing a truck full of beer and leading California police on a highway foot pursuit.
The incident happened just before noon in Santa Rosa, according to a report from local police. The theft took place while the truck driver was inside MD Liquor & Food.
“A customer went into the store and told the delivery driver, who was inside at the time, that a transient male wearing American flag shorts, jumped into his beer truck in the parking lot, and drove off. Luckily, the beer truck company had GPS on their truck and located it within minutes in the 300 block of Yolanda Avenue,” according to a release from the Santa Rosa Police Department.
Police say a man wearing only American flag shorts stole a Coors beer truck then ran on foot across Highway 101 in Santa Rosa. https://t.co/Cl6jUsTBgL pic.twitter.com/YuljeenZcJ
— KTVU (@KTVU) April 19, 2018
After the beer bandit abandoned the truck, he was reportedly seen running across Highway 101 in nothing but the flag shorts by several witnesses.
Police soon located the suspect, later identified as 46-year-old Matt Lane Hermsmeyer, hiding in some bushes.
Hermsmeyer was arrested and charged with vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest, violation of probation, and priors for auto theft.