Stolen vehicle in St. Petersburg wasn’t hard to find. It was the fire chief’s truck at Arby’s

A man is accused of stealing a Lealman Fire District chief’s vehicle on Saturday, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

According to deputies, 31-year-old Michael James Chick of St. Petersburg stole the 2014 Ford Expedition from Station 18 on 55th Avenue North at about 1:15 p.m.

Deputies spotted the vehicle near Park Street North and attempted to pull it over.

Chick, however, refused to stop, authorities said.

Stop sticks were deployed but were unsuccessful, the sheriff’s office said. A helicopter unit arrived and deputies were able to follow Chick at a safe distance.

The vehicle eventually stopped at an Arby’s restaurant on Ulmerton Road in Largo.

Chick attempted to enter the restaurant, but deputies took him into custody before he could.

He was arrested and charged with burglary to an occupied structure, grand theft auto, and fleeing and eluding.

No deputies were injured during the incident, authorities said. There was minor damage to the chief’s vehicle.

This story was originally published January 27, 2018 at 9:29 PM with the headline "Stolen vehicle in St. Petersburg wasn’t hard to find. It was the fire chief’s truck at Arby’s."