Arizona man steals ambulance from Banner hospital, says it was too hot to walk

A 37-year-old man stole an ambulance while leaving Mesa, Ariz.-based Banner Desert Medical Center late morning July 26, and attributes his decision to not wanting to walk home in the heat, Fox News reports.

Todd Shell had just been released from the hospital after being treated for a "heat related situation," according to the Mesa Police Department's crime blog.

"When officers interviewed [Mr.] Shell after his arrest, he said when he came out of the hospital he thought it was too hot to walk home," the blog post reads. "He walked back towards the hospital when he found the ambulance running in the bay while the crew was dropping off another patient. [Mr.] Shell decided to take the ambulance at that point so he wouldn't have to walk."

Mesa Police found Mr. Shell driving in the stolen ambulance at normal speeds on the freeway. Once he exited the vehicle, police surrounded the stolen ambulance and arrested Mr. Shell on one count of unlawful use of means of transportation and one count of unlawful flight from law enforcement.

He said he intended to return the stolen ambulance, which was not damaged and has been returned to service.

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