TV actor’s car stolen, crashed

Friday, April 21, 2000 | 10:03 a.m.

Las Vegas police Sgt. Victor Vigna went on two car chases and got his patrol car rammed, but finally recovered actor Don Johnson's stolen Mercedes Benz.

Johnson is in Las Vegas this week shooting footage for "Nash Bridges" at the Desert Inn hotel-casino.

Vigna first spotted suspect Robert Lee Gibson Tuesday in a stolen car. After a chase that included the car ramming into Vigna's patrol car, Gibson allegedly ditched the car and escaped on foot, Lt. Gary Schofield said.

Wednesday night Vigna was again patrolling when he spotted a familiar man driving another car. This time it was Johnson's stolen black Mercedes S500. The car had been stolen from the show's set.

"I couldn't believe it myself," Vigna said. "I looked over and there he was again."

That started another high-speed chase that ended 30 minutes later when the Mercedes tried to take a curve in the road too fast and spun over a curb and into a planter. The Mercedes uprooted a tree and slid about 75 feet before rolling.

Gibson, 31, was arrested and charged with two counts of felony evading police and two counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle. He was also charged with one count of battery with a deadly weapon in the ramming of Vigna's car and one count of extortion.

Johnson's Mercedes was severely damage in the accident.