Texas Man Arrested After Ambulance Joyride
Jan. 25--Medics went inside a home on Corpus Christi's Westside to take a patient to the hospital Tuesday morning. When they came out, the ambulance was gone.
One man is in Nueces County Jail after being accused of taking the hospital for a joyride that only covered about a block.
Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha said first responders were dispatched to the home in the 2600 block of Mary Street around 11:30 a.m. The call was not deemed an emergency, but medics decided they would need to transport the patient to the hospital.
While inside, police believe 24-year-old Ismael Garcia took the ambulance and drove off, striking trees and trash cans along the way. Officers found the ambulance abandoned in the middle of the road at 23rd and Morris streets, and found Garcia near the scene. Officers noted he was stumbling and staggering, according to Senior Officer Travis Pace.
"We're thankful no one was hurt," Rocha said. "But we don't take this type of activity kindly and we're seeking prosecution to the full extent of the law."
Rocha said the ambulance suffered front end damage and will be repaired.
Garcia was arrested on suspicion of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a state jail felony, and interference with public duties, a class B misdemeanor. His bail was set at $22,000, according to jail officials.
(c)2017 the Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Corpus Christi, Texas)
