Man arrested after reportedly stealing ambulance from hospital
Woolston has driven more than 1
By Tianna Morimoto
Click here for updates on this story
MESA, Arizona (KPHO) — A man is in custody after allegedly stealing an ambulance from a Mesa hospital and driving it around Laveen on Sunday afternoon.
Mesa police say 45-year-old Joshua Aaron Esau was discharged from Banner Desert Hospital and took off in an ambulance around 1:30 p.m. Phoenix police got involved shortly after when the ambulance led officers near 51st Avenue and Dobbins Road in Laveen.
According to court documents, Esau drove head-on at a Gila River police cruiser, nearly colliding before the officer drove off the road. Officers were soon able to stop the ambulance using spike strips.
Gila River police ultimately arrested Esau just after 2 p.m. and he was later booked on a charge of aggravated assault involving an officer. Although the ambulance was stolen in Mesa, no Mesa officers were involved in the chase.
This is the second ambulance that was stolen a Valley hospital over the course of a week. On Tuesday, Valerie Campbell, 55, stole an ambulance and crashed into four cars near Cave Creek and Thunderbird roads. One person was taken to the hospital as a precaution, but no other injuries were reported. Campbell was arrested and taken in to custody by Phoenix police.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
