I am sorry I don't know the specific statute. This is related to something happening to someone I know. He was with a friend at a party, decided to leave early, and called an Uber. He waited for the Uber in what he believed was his friend's car. The police came, informed him he was in a neighbor's car, and arrested him. His Uber arrived during the arrest. He is now told he faces up to two years in prison for car theft and public intoxication.

If it went down as he describes it, I don't understand why he would be prosecuted for stealing the car. Hence my legal question: to be guilty of stealing a car, is it not required that you are, in so many words, trying to steal a car?

Note: he didn't, nor could he have if he wanted to, start the car or drive it, just sat in it. But I assume the laws about car theft won't require those since you could die example try to tow it away or force it into neutral and push it or something.