Suspect who fled naked from hospital, stole ambulance from Texas Medical Center in custody following SWAT standoff

HOUSTON – A suspect who stole an ambulance, then crashed the emergency vehicle in southwest Houston, has been taken into custody, ending an hours-long SWAT standoff, according to Houston police.

On Monday evening, police said officers responded to reports of a suspect burglarizing a home. When officers arrived to the scene, the suspect broke out of the home and led officers on a chase before he was apprehended.

The suspect was arrested and charged with burglary of habitation, evading arrest and possessing methamphetamine, police said. At some point, the suspect was injured during the chase and was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center to be treated for his injuries.

Police said, around 10 a.m., as the night shift and dayshift officers were switching out, the suspect wanted to go to the bathroom but because of his injuries, the nurse offered him to use a bedpan. That is when the suspect became hostile with the nurse and an officer went in to help, which led to a fight.

Police said the suspect escaped the officer but the officer caught up to him and another fight started. Sometime during the fight, the suspect’s hospital gown was ripped off and he ran out of the hospital naked. As ambulance #25 was dropping off another patient, the suspect jumped inside the driver’s seat and stole the emergency vehicle.

Police said no paramedics were injured.

The ambulance was then traced to the southwest side of town and spotted near Harwin and Wilcrest. The suspect allegedly crashed into a parked, unoccupied vehicle, then jumped out and fled on foot.

During the search for the suspect, officers went to a woman’s home, about four miles away from the crash. Police said officers knocked on the woman’s door and she told them he was inside her home and that she wanted him out.

A SWAT team surrounded the home while negotiators worked to bring the situation to a close.