Suspect in stolen Houston County ambulance apprehended after extended police chase

HOUSTON – A driver accused of stealing a Houston Fire Department (HFD) ambulance is in custody after a lengthy search and police chase on Monday afternoon.

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According to preliminary information, it all started after an unidentified man stole a black Infiniti from a Kroger store near 11th and Shepherd St.

Police said the man stole the car from the driver who crashed and pretended to help the crash victim before jumping into their car and driving away.

We were told that the man left his personal car and left his details in the car so that the police could identify him.

It then proceeded to HFD Station 17, officials said, and believes it stopped there because the right rear wheel had burst and a fender panel had been damaged.

The fireman reportedly asked the man if he could help him and then entered the fire station before getting into Ambulance 17 and taking off.

The driver drove for about an hour while the police actively searched for him. Because the ambulance was on standby, firefighters said it was difficult to locate using GPS.

Around 3:00 p.m., officers were able to find an ambulance and arrest the driver after he crashed into another vehicle, causing him to have a flat tire.

At the time of this writing, the suspect has not been identified, but police have described him as “in crisis” and is expected to be charged with felony evasion and grand theft charges.

According to officials during the press conference, in part because he was described as a man “in crisis,” he could be heard on scanners saying unintelligible things, such as “that someone was trying to kill him.” “. However, investigators were unable to go into details.

This is an evolving story. Stay tuned.