Mark Dunphy
San Antonio Express-News
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio woman was arrested Tuesday after allegedly stealing an ambulance from a downtown hospital.
According to police, EMS medics left their ambulance running outside the emergency room entrance at Methodist Hospital Metropolitan, located at 1310 McCullough Ave.
While the medics were taking a patient into the hospital, they saw someone drive away in the San Antonio Fire Department ambulance. The driver of the ambulance struck a column and then fled the area.
Police identified Ashley Moreno, 28, as the person who jumped into the unoccupied ambulance and drove away. Moreno abandoned the vehicle a short distance away at the intersection of West Ashby Place and Lewis St.
Shortly after ditching the ambulance, Moreno approached the nearby Fire Station 6, located at 503 West Russell Place. She was held there until police arrived and took her into custody around noon without incident.
“There were no injuries associated with this event and damage was limited to very minor damage to the ambulance as well as to a pole at the hospital,"said SAFD spokesman Joseph Arrington in a statement.
“The details of how this individual was able to access the ambulance and drive away are currently under investigation.”
Court records show Moreno was charged with theft of a vehicle valued at $300,000 or more. Bond was set at $50,000.
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