Court appearance upcoming for 29-year-old man suspected of stealing VT police cruiser

A suspect in the theft of a Vermont State Police cruiser and a 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 in Burlington earlier Wednesday. He ignored commands to stop and was subdued by troopers, police said. The 29-year-old was expected to face a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court on Thursday.

The cruiser was stolen from outside a residence in Rutland on Tuesday morning. It was later found somewhere else in the city, police said.