19-year-old Palestinian arrested after stealing car, ramming into police vehicle

Police on Tuesday arrested a Palestinian who attempted to steal a vehicle in the city of Petah Tikva and drive it to the West Bank.

Police said officers who were notified about the stolen car spotted it on Route 5, driving toward the West Bank.

A police force blocked a portion of the road while another team began pursuing the suspect.

When the suspect reached the roadblock he tried to escape by ramming into a police car and running over officers on the scene, police said.

Officers responded with gunfire, lightly injuring the suspect, who was detained and taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

Police later identified the suspect as a 19-year-old resident of the West Bank.

Illustrative: Police officers at the entrance to the Emmanuel settlement in the West Bank during a coronavirus lockdown, on September 8, 2020. (Sraya Diamant/Flash90)

Thefts of Israeli cars that are then taken into the West Bank are a common occurrence. Police recently carried out several comprehensive operations aimed at apprehending car thieves.

In June, police said they had arrested as many as 20 individuals allegedly involved in more than 60 cases of car theft in central Israel in recent months.

In May, an Israeli woman had her car stolen along with her toddler at a gas station in northern Israel, before security forces managed to locate it in a nearby Palestinian town in the West Bank.