Maybe it's a good thing this car lot in Spokane doesn't fill the tanks of its vehicles for sale!

A would-be car thief Monday got a rude awakening when he attempted to steal a car during a test drive.

38-year-old Raymond Franetich, who just happens to be a 19-time convicted felon, showed up Monday morning at Corky's Car Lot in East Central Spokane, and was reportedly interested in a used Jaguar.

Salesman Paul Marks said the man looked at several cars, then asked to drive the Jaguar. Marks didn't notice any strange behavior by Franetich, but as he prepared to lock the office and head out, the driver put the car in drive and took off. Marks had started the car and Franetich was sitting with the door open.

It took Marks a moment to realize what had happened, and he felt pretty "ridiculous" according to KREM-2 TV. But luckily for him, Franetich ran out of gas just a few blocks away, and as he coasted into a gas station, several Spokane police and sheriffs units caught up with him.

Franetich abandoned the car and police had to chase him several blocks before catching him. According to police reports, the convicted felon had been casing the car lot and had picked out the Jaguar to trade for meth and weapons.

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