Police: Stolen bulldozer hits VSU building, flips police car

by: Will Gonzalez, Sierra Krug

Posted: May 27, 2023 / 08:40 AM EDT

Updated: May 27, 2023 / 06:29 PM EDT

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A man is in custody after police say he stole a bulldozer on Virginia State University's campus, hitting a VSU building and VSU Police car with the stolen vehicle.

According to Virginia State Police, troopers responded to VSU's campus at around 1:52 a.m. on Saturday May 27 to assist Chesterfield County Police officers after a man reportedly stole a bulldozer from a construction site near the university's Multi-Purpose Center.

The suspect repeatedly struck a VSU Police car parked in front of the Multi-Purpose Center, as well as the Multi-Purpose Center itself. Police say the suspect caused damage to the building's exterior, as well as one of the side entrances, several handicap parking sings and three light poles in front of the building.

The suspect then took the bulldozer out of the Multi-Purpose Center's parking lot and across Chesterfield Avenue towards Ettrick Elementary School, damaging property at the school and a church nearby.

The suspect then drove the bulldozer back to the Multi-Purpose Center's parking lot and pushed the VSU Police car across Second Street into a different parking lot, where he damaged two more light poles and several trees. He then ran into the VSU Police car again, flipping it onto its side.

The suspect then drove the bulldozer to Boisseau Street, where he was eventually arrested. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Devin Thorne of Petersburg, was charged with felony eluding, trespassing, obstruction of justice, grand larceny and two counts of felony vandalism. He is being held without bond at the Chesterfield County Jail.

According to VSU, Thorne has no affiliation with the university but has been arrested several times in the past for trespassing and other violations on campus.

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