Rude awakening for car thief suspect after BMW uses remote locking to trap him in stolen vehicle

A man accused of stealing a BMW 550i found himself trapped inside the stolen car while surrounded by Seattle law enforcement officers. Photo / BMW

A suspect in a Seattle car theft had a rude awakening last week when the car he allegedly stole seemed to take on a life of its own.

The man accused of stealing a BMW 550i on November 30 found himself trapped inside the stolen car while surrounded by law enforcement officers in Seattle.

The car's owner - a newlywed bride who had just tied the knot the day before - had lent her BMW to a friend, according to the Seattle Police Department.

The friend parked the car at the owner's place that night, leaving the key fob inside the vehicle and forgetting to lock the doors.

Police said a 38-year-old man found the car unlocked and hopped in, taking it for a joy ride before pulling over and falling asleep.

The car's owner awoke to find her car missing and notified the police, who contacted BMW's roadside assistance programme to help locate the vehicle, the police report said.

"BMW employees were able to remotely lock the car's doors, trapping the suspect inside, presumably while hissing something terrifying like 'I'm not locked in here with you, you're locked in here with me' into the car's sound system," wrote Jonah Spangenthal-Lee of the Seattle Police Department, quoting the comic book Watchmen.

Spangenthal-Lee said the quote was speculative on his part but that's what he would certainly say in the same situation.

The man was arrested and charged with car theft and drug possession due to a small amount of methamphetamine discovered on him, police said.

Several car manufacturers - including BMW, Audi and Toyota - offer remote locking and tracking in their vehicles. It is frequently cited as a safety feature should a car be stolen.