Advertisement Police take 2 into custody after ambulance theft, police chase Ambulance employee inside vehicle during theft Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A crash scene on Interstate 40 and Tramway early Saturday morning shut down traffic for a while.The accident scene was where police finally stopped a stolen ambulance. It took spike strips to reduce the front right wheel to its rim."We don't know why they stole that ambulance," said Albuquerque Police Officer Simon Drobik. "(Maybe) they just needed a ride, but obviously there's a lot of narcotics on board an ambulance, if they're trying to steal that."Police arrested Alisa Quam and Mike Schildt in connection with the incident.They said the duo jumped into the ambulance at Lovelace Hospital around 3 a.m. Saturday.Little did they know, a paramedic was sleeping in the back."The (ambulance) was leaving and (the paramedic) didn't know who was driving it," Drobik said.With the paramedic still in the back, the suspects drove the ambulance east on Central Avenue for several miles until they got to Pennsylvania Avenue.That's where the paramedic jumped out.But the ambulance kept going and the pair jumped onto I-40 East and fled into the East Mountain area.In Edgewood, which is about 30 miles from Albuquerque, the suspects turned around and sped back toward the city.Deputies with the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office helped with traffic control and assisted in deploying the Spike Strips.At the crash site on I-40 and Tramway, police arrested Quam and Schildt.The ambulance employee was not hurt."I kind of feel bad for the guy who was sleeping in the back, you know?" said Drobik. "He just woke up and (was) almost kidnapped. Fortunately for him he was able to jump out."Both suspects are charged with kidnapping, aggravated fleeing and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.The ambulance is owned by Superior Ambulance.No one from the company would comment on the theft.