Man Arested After Stealing Concrete Truck, Parking it at St. Monica's Catholic School

A man who claims to be a St. Monica's Catholic school alumnus, stole a truck towing a concrete mixer on PCH, then drove it to St. Monica's where he was arrested.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon just after 3:30 PM. Our photographer captured photos, just as I half dozen Santa Monica police officers arrived and formally arrested the 30-year-old man.

But police were sure they had their man, who said that the truck dropped concrete and equipment all over PCH on the way to St. Monica's.

Carlos Rodriguez manages various contractors at a construction site at Paseo Del Mar in the Palisades. The truck was stolen at about 10:30, he says.

Rodriguez says the truck had its hose on the third floor of a Pacific Palisades building pumping concrete, when the suspect stole it. He describes the suspect as a 28-year-old kid.

Rodriguez says that the school called the number on the pump, which was his number, at 2 pm and told him to come move his truck off the private school campus.

When Rodriguez came to St. Monica's to pick up the truck for the contractor who works for him, they saw the suspect still in the truck. The suspect asked for a light for his marijuana cigarette and Rodriguez said I don't have a lighter because I don't smoke. But this man around the corner does have a lighter

Once the suspect got out of the truck, Rodriguez tackled the much taller suspect, then made a citizens arrest and called Santa Monica Police.

By then he had assistance of the contractor who owned the vehicle. The contractor identified the vehicle as his partner's truck and Santa Monica Police arrested the suspect.

"I can't believe that you guys are really doing this," said the bearded suspect. "I graduated from St. John's right here are you fucking kidding me"and can't believe that you guys are really doing this."

"He comes from money. You can tell by the way that he was arguing that he was well educated," he said.