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A man tried to escape custody Tuesday after he allegedly stole a tractor-trailer rig from a southeast Tulsa parking lot to aid in his search for his girlfriend, according to Tulsa law enforcement officials.

Steven Hart, 45, is accused of stealing a Pepsi truck around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday while it was being unloaded at a business near 51st Street and Memorial Drive, Tulsa Police Officer Jeanne Pierce said.

Multiple people, including the driver of the rig and Hart’s girlfriend, called the police to report the theft. His girlfriend told officers Hart stole the truck to look for her, Pierce said.

The authorized driver was in the back of the rig unloading soda when the truck began moving. He bailed out of the trailer and contacted the police.

Hart drove around midtown and east Tulsa, leading police on a brief pursuit, police said.

“The back of the truck was still open, and the lift was down,” Pierce said. “One officer said he was following the trail of soda.”