Eagle-eyed Franciso Cases accelerates at police officer, Sunshine court hears

A Cairnlea man who jumped into a car while its owner was grabbing cash from an ATM later drove at police who thought they had him cornered.

Francisco Cases, 31, appeared before the Sunshine Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

An unsophisticated and opportunistic thief, who was “feeling juicy,” and nabbed a car and almost hit a police officer laughed in court as his offending was laid bare.

Francisco Cases, 31, fronted Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to a slew of charges including theft of a motor vehicle and endangering the life of an emergency services worker.

On May 8 this year, Cases was riding his bicycle along Lygon St when he saw a man get out of his parked car and went to withdraw cash from an ATM.

An eagle-eyed Cases saw the man had left his car running with the keys inside.

He immediately discarded his bike, jumped inside the driver’s seat and sped off.

The victim immediately called police and continually updated officers on the location of the vehicle, which had a tracking device inside.

Police followed the car and began to close in on the thief.

Francisco Cases said he was “feeling juicy” when he stole the cars.

On two occasions officers tried to apprehend Cases, but as soon as he saw the red and blue lights he sped off.

Eventually police cornered Cases in a dead-end street, but he wasn’t done with yet, and escaped through a narrow gap over a nature strip, narrowly missing an officer and scraping the side of the police vehicle.

However, he soon dumped the car and was caught by police.

Cases also pleaded guilty to other incidents involving him rifling through cars.

On one occasion, when confronted by a car owner he punched him in the face.

Cases appeared in court via custody link and laughed when a description of his crimes was read aloud.

The court was told Cases said he was “feeling juicy” when he committed his crimes.

Cases will reappear before the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on June 13 for sentencing after he was ordered to undergo a community corrections order assessment.