Half-nude man arrested after hijacking ambulance at fatal Downey stabbing scene
Suspected ambulance thief and the alleged stabbing suspect were taken into custody after a 10-mile pursuit and separate arrest near a high school in southeastern Los Angeles County
A half-nude man was arrested after stealing an ambulance from paramedics who were responding to a fatal stabbing at the Downey City Library in Downey, California, police said.
Downey police said the hijacking occurred Saturday morning after first responders arrived at the library, where one man had been fatally stabbed in the neck. The man who seized the ambulance was described by witnesses as "screaming" and was not connected to the homicide investigation, the Downey Police Department said in a statement.
Local video obtained by ABC7 showed officers on foot and in patrol vehicles chasing the ambulance as it sped out of the library’s parking lot near an Embassy Suites hotel. A woman can be heard in the footage yelling, "He's stealing the ambulance," while sirens blared.
Authorities said the driver led officers on a roughly 10-mile pursuit that ended when the ambulance struck a parked vehicle in Alhambra. Video of the arrest showed the suspect’s pants falling to his ankles, leaving him in his underwear; police dressed him before taking him into custody, according to reports. Witness Alan Kwong told KABC that the man continued to scream during the arrest and while in a police SUV.
Separately, the stabbing victim died at the scene, where witnesses reported seeing a bloody altercation by an electric vehicle charging station, KTLA reported. The alleged homicide suspect, described by KABC as a 23-year-old homeless man, fled on foot toward a nearby high school and was arrested by police near the campus.
Both the suspected ambulance thief, identified by media reports as a 52-year-old man, and the homicide suspect are in custody. The Downey Police Department said the ambulance driver was unrelated to the homicide and that names of the suspects have not been released. Investigators have not yet released additional details about the motive for the stabbing or the condition of the victim beyond confirming the fatal wound.
The incidents prompted a multi-agency response as officers pursued the vehicle and secured the area around the library and nearby school. Authorities have not announced any charges or filed reports beyond the detentions and are continuing the investigations into both the fatal stabbing and the unauthorized use of the ambulance.
No additional injuries to civilians or first responders were reported in connection with the pursuit or crash. Police asked anyone with video or information about either incident to contact the Downey Police Department.