Houston ambulance stolen at gunpoint with a patient inside

HOUSTON — An armed suspect stole an ambulance early Friday while a patient and a firefighter were inside, Houston police said.

The suspect is accused of running the ambulance off the road, the department said in a series of tweets. Then, a firefighter behind the wheel was forced out of the ambulance at gunpoint and left on the side of the road.

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

Authorities said they used a GPS to track down the ambulance.

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

He added: “It does appear that HPD was able to stop the member. He did appear to surrender peacefully, from what I’ve been told. He got out and one of the police officers took the ambulance off the freeway to where we see right now.”

The suspect’s name and the charges against him were not released.

Both firefighters and the patient are all OK, investigators told the news station. The patient was taken to a hospital by another ambulance.

source: nbcnews.com