San Diego

A brand-new San Diego Police Department black-and-white patrol car was damaged Thursday during a high-speed pursuit of a suspected car thief, officials said.

A group of detectives and patrol officers were staking out a Toyota pickup truck that they believed had been stolen in the South Bay area when a man got into it and drove away.

Police said the driver of the pickup led three patrol cars on a 16-minute chase northbound on Interstate 5. During the pursuit, the man intentionally slammed on his brakes several times, forcing the black-and-white to slam into the pickup from behind. A second patrol car was damaged when the pickup swerved into an adjacent freeway lane to hit it.

The officers forced the truck to a stop at Imperial Avenue and 24th Street. Alex Genaro Lopez, 18, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, officials said.

Neither Genaro nor any of the officers involved in the chase were injured.

Police said the front of the patrol vehicle, which had been delivered to the southern substation just the day before, was moderately damaged.

The department decided last year to introduce the black-and-white vehicles because officers believe they are easy for the public to identify and can help reduce crime rates.