PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A woman is facing several charges after she allegedly stole an ambulance from HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital on Wednesday.
Video surveillance shows the woman, identified as 25-year-old Marquisa Allen of Miami, sitting on a bench wearing a hospital gown when she gets up and walks toward two parked ambulances, reports WPBF. Police say she then entered one of the ambulances and drove away. The ambulance attendants had just taken another patient into the hospital.
“What it comes down to really is a crime of opportunity,” said Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro. “Unfortunately, they left the keys inside the vehicle.”
Police were able to locate the vehicle using its GPS tracker, which allowed officers to provide the ambulance’s location to other law enforcement.
“They were able to track it to the Turnpike southbound, where it got caught up in some traffic,” said Del Toro.
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol located the ambulance and said Allen exited the vehicle and tried to run but was detained following a brief foot chase. She also allegedly provided the troopers with a false name.
Allen was taken to the Martin County Jail and was booked on charges of giving false information to police, driving with a suspended license, and resisting without violence. Port St. Lucie police said additional charges will be filed against Allen.
