Sydney -
Australian police were caught unaware by a man who got into an unlocked paddy wagon and went for a joyride with a 15-year-old girl he picked up along the way, reports said on Saturday.
A 35-year-old man and the teenager were apprehended in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and charged with automobile theft.
ABC quoted police as saying officers were attending to a man injured in a bar fight when the suspect took their unlocked vehicle.
He drove off, picked up a 15-year-old girl along the way, and ran down a number of street signs before abandoning the car, ABC said.
Police later caught the two and charged them.
The man will also face a charge of reckless driving when he appears in court on Tuesday while his passenger is due in children's court in March, ABC said.
Sapa-dpa