Matthew Casey

The Republic | azcentral.com

Goodyear police have arrested a man in his late 30s after they say he stole a Buckeye Valley Fire District ambulance parked outside a West Valley hospital and drove it to his Avondale home, according to a department spokeswoman.

Patient Michael Lopez "escaped" the hospital and stole the ambulance that was parked outside, Goodyear police spokeswoman Lisa Kutis said.

Police attempted to pull Lopez over, but he refused, Kutis said. Authorities later found the ambulance at Lopez's home in the 100 block of East Southern Lane.

Lopez is facing charges of theft, felony flight, failure to yield to police and disorderly conduct, Kutis said.