Man Arrested After Allegedly Stealing Chicago Ambulance

June 21--Police caught and arrested a man who they say attempted to steal a Chicago Fire Department ambulance early Sunday morning at Stroger Hospital.

Paramedics had just dropped off a patient about 6:30 a.m. at the hospital and started to prepare the ambulance for service. As one of the paramedics was placing a stretcher in the back, a man jumped in the front and started to pull away, said Larry Langford, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

With the stretcher hanging out the back door, the man attempted to drive down the street, but one of the paramedics had quickly alerted hospital police of the theft, Langford said.

The police chased the ambulance and caught up with the suspect about a block away from Stroger.

The man, who appeared to have been intoxicated, was taken into police custody, Langford said.

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