Bait Car is a Los Angeles-based cable show that entices would-be suspects to essentially steal vehicles that are left parked in sometimes precarious situations with the keys inside.

In fact, that's what happened in San Francisco when a self-described do-gooder hopped into a car left blocking a lane with the engine running. Cullen Farrell grabbed the wheel and hit the gas to look for a proper spot, but by the time he had rounded the block, the po-pos had rolled up with cameras in-tow.

Farrel claims he's innocent. But the story's even more infuriating for the 32-year-old.

The cops' overtime was paid for by the producers, who also donated the bait cars. The whole thing seemed like a made-for-TV set-up. Except that the charges were real.

Interestingly, former San Francisco police George Gascon, a former LAPD assistant chief who was just named the S.F. District Attorney to fill the shoes of state Attorney General Kamela Harris, approved the whole thing.

The TruTV show has also taped in L.A. with county sheriffs deputies.

Read the whole story of how Bait Car hooked the coppers and appears to have set-up suspects at our sister publication SF Weekly.

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