Police: Hospital Patient Steals Ambulance, Leads Sacramento Cops On Chase

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento police say a hospital patient stole an ambulance and led them on a chase.

Kenneth Javier, 22, is accused of stealing the ambulance from Sutter Hospital early Sunday morning.

Police say the chase ended when Javier lost control and crashed on Highway 99, near Elverta Road.

"Somebody just stole a medic ambulance, southbound 29th, I don't have a visual on them."

Sacramento police tailed Javier Sunday morning, after receiving reports he was driving an ambulance. Surveillance photos show the ambulance leaving Sutter Hospital with its back doors wide open.

Javier led Sacramento police on a 20-minute chase around the city.

First he was spotted in Oak Park, just minutes after driving away from the hospital. Javier then drove through Midtown before getting onto Interstate Five and activating the ambulance lights and sirens.

Police say Javier continued onto Northbound Highway 99 and reached speeds of up to 85 miles an hour, before losing control of the ambulance and flipping over.

"He did receive some minor injuries from the crash," said a police department spokesman.

Police say Javier was being treated in the emergency room before he walked out and decided to get into the ambulance.

"The back doors of the ambulance were unsecured and that's how the subject got into the vehicle," police said.

A spokesman for Sacramento Fire says the department does not have a policy requiring paramedics to lock up when they're doing an emergency transport to a hospital.

Police say they're just thankful the chase ended without a tragedy.

"This is a very dangerous situation that the suspect put the community in; we are very lucky it turned out the way it did."
Javier is being charged with auto theft, felony evading and driving under the influence.