Man charged with stealing ambulance

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — A 28-year-old city man is in Mahoning County Jail on $220,000 bond after police said he took an ambulance for a joy ride and led them on a chase.

Devon Anderson, 28, of West Indianola Avenue appeared Monday for a video arraignment in Youngstown Municipal Court. He faces felony charges of fleeing and eluding and receiving stolen property as well as misdemeanor charges for driving without a license and resisting arrest.

Magistrate Anthony Sertick set bond at $100,000 for each felony charge and $5,000 for each misdemeanor. The magistrate also set a bond of $10,000 on an older, unrelated resisting arrest charge on file for Anderson.

According to police, two paramedics with Clemente Ambulance Services brought a critically wounded patient to Forum Health Northside Medical Center just after 1:30 a.m. Monday and left the ambulance running in the parking lot while taking the patient inside the hospital.

The paramedics told officers they were in the hospital only about three minutes, but when they returned to the place where the ambulance had been backed in, it was gone. Some witnesses told police they saw a man walk out of the emergency room and drive off in the emergency vehicle.

Reports say police spotted Anderson driving the ambulance on Mahoning Avenue near Steel Street a short time after it was reported stolen.

Officers tried to stop the vehicle, but that turned into a high-speed pursuit where, reports say, Anderson almost lost control of the vehicle on several occasions.

Anderson eventually got out of the ambulance and ran along Calvary Run Road. Officers caught up to him and a struggle involving several officers took place before Anderson was handcuffed and placed in a cruiser.

The ambulance was returned to Clemente personnel. Police said the company accounted for all equipment and narcotics in the vehicle.