Stolen squad car

Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson could say he's thanking his lucky OnStar right now.

Dodson said sheriff's deputies traveled to San Antonio this week for an overnight training conference, and one deputy woke up Thursday morning to find his patrol car missing from the motel parking lot.

The fully-marked vehicle, equipped with items like weapons, night vision goggles and a bulletproof vest, was taken from a parking lot and later found about a mile from the motel.

In all his 28 years of law enforcement, Dodson said he'd never heard of anything like it, especially for someone to abandon their steal so close to where it was taken.

"I guess they figured, ‘we're driving around in a marked vehicle,' " Dodson said. "I can only imagine what they were thinking."

The sheriff's office didn't have OnStar on the vehicle between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday when it was reported taken from the lot. Dodson said he acted fast and subscribed to the service and it located the vehicle quickly.

Dodson said though the car was recovered, items like night goggles, a pistol and a bullet proof vest were taken from the vehicle when it was found.

The incident is under investigation by the San Antonio police, and Brewster County deputies headed back to their area late Thursday, Dodson said.