Trending Topics

Pursuit of ambulance stolen from Calif. homicide scene ends in crash

A man stole a Downey Fire Department ambulance from the scene and was caught after crashing in Alhambra

By Sierra van der Brug
Press-Telegram

DOWNEY, Calif. — A fatal stabbing occurred in front of the Downey Library around 9:40 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13 . A man unrelated to the stabbing investigation then stole an ambulance that was parked at the scene on Saturday morning, leading police on a pursuit that ended in a crash in Alhambra, according to the Downey Police Department.

The stabbing was reported in front of the Downey Library at 11121 Brookshire Avenue, where authorities declared a male with a stab wound dead at the scene. The man’s identity has not been released, pending notification of his next of kin.

| READ NEXT: Grand theft ambulance: The crime we’re letting happen

Witnesses told police the stabbing suspect had left the area on foot and headed towards Downey High School. The library and high school were placed on lockdown as police searched for the suspect, authorities said.

A suspect was taken into custody on the high school campus, police said. The suspect was described by police as a 23-year-old male transient.

As emergency personnel responded to the stabbing at the library, a different male suspect stole a Downey Fire Department ambulance that had been parked at the scene.

Video footage from freelance news organization OnScene.TV shows the ambulance traveling through a parking lot as police chase the vehicle on foot.

Downey police pursued the stolen ambulance until the suspect crashed the ambulance into a parked car in Alhambra. Police took the suspect in the ambulance theft, identified as a 52-year-old man from Los Angeles, into custody.

Police said the stabbing and ambulance theft appeared to be isolated. Police did not immediately identify the suspects who were arrested.

Trending
Richmond University Medical Center was recognized for treating 20 patients, including many FDNY members
Two off-duty medics and two nurses helped revive a 5-year-old boy after he fell into a resort pool in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Shippensburg Area EMS uses a paramedic interceptor model to provide ALS across a wider area, but officials say the program creates reimbursement and funding challenges
“Dancing with Death” shares personal stories of fentanyl overdoses and addiction as organizers work to raise awareness

© 2025 Press-Telegram, Long Beach, Calif..
Visit www.presstelegram.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
Connect daily vehicle inspections with maintenance workflows in a single, streamlined platform to enhance compliance and uptime for mission-critical fleets