Armed Person Steals Ambulance With Patient Inside, Houston Police Says

HOUSTON – An armed suspect stole an ambulance on Friday morning as a patient and a firefighter were inside, Houston police said.

The suspect is accused of taking the ambulance off the road, the department said in a series of tweets. Then a driving firefighter was forced out of the ambulance at gunpoint and left by the side of the road.

Officers in the Southwest and Southeast just recovered a stolen HFD ambulance from Southwest Freeway and Weslayan. HFD was transporting a patient to hospital when a car pulled the ambulance off the road and took it away at gunpoint. A firefighter was left by the side of the road. pic.twitter.com/Ip5DRcjP5q

– Houston Police (@houstonpolice) July 23, 2021

A patient and another firefighter were in the back of the vehicle.

Authorities said they used a GPS to locate the ambulance.

“We immediately followed him. Our operations center and dispatch knew exactly what was going on and we were able to follow the ambulance at all times, ”said Deputy Fire Chief Isaac Garcia, according to NBC affiliate KPRC of Houston.

Houston Police said the man hijacked an ambulance on the way to hospital at gunpoint with a patient and an EMT on his back. This happened around 3 a.m. along the south loop. HPD had the suspect arrested on Highway 610 / SW. @ KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/UUb5dJPEq2

– Taisha Walker (@ KPRC2Taisha) July 23, 2021

He added, “It looks like HPD was able to stop the limb. He appeared to surrender peacefully, from what I was told. He got out and one of the policemen pulled the ambulance off the freeway to where we can see it now. “

The name of the suspect and the charges against him were not disclosed.

The firefighters and the patient are all fine, investigators told the news station. The patient was transported to hospital by another ambulance.