Man arrested for stealing his own car

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NEW CASTLE, Del., Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A Delaware man was arrested for allegedly stealing his own impounded car, then leading police on a 35-minute chase before driving into a pond, police said.

Donald Smith II, of Bear, was arrested early Friday and charged with theft, trespass and related offenses for the incident, the Philadelphia Daily News reported.

Police said Smith used a front-end loader to steal his pickup truck from a repair shop in New Castle at about 12:30 a.m. Friday.

The repair shop had been holding Smith's pickup because he had not paid for work done to it.

The shop owner called police and Smith was spotted later driving the front-end loader with the truck on it in the parking lot of a restaurant, the newspaper said.

Smith refused to pull over and instead led police on a 35-minute chase down a highway, through a housing development and then a cornfield, police said.

The suspect ended the chase by accidentally driving into a retention pond, police said.

Smith was arrested and later released after he posted $5,750 bail.