9/14/23 Honolulu, HI – Ambulance Arrived At Home To Transport Cancer Patient To The Hospital – Ambulance Stolen From The Scene By Two Suspects – Found 20 Minutes Later Less Than A Mile Away

Honolulu Police are on the lookout for two thieves who stole an EMS ambulance Wednesday night. It’s not clear why they took it but officials said they didn’t get very far.

EMS said the ambulance was sent to Kalihi to pick up a cancer patient around 9:30 p.m. The patient says she was in a lot of pain and needed to get to the hospital fast. But when they brought her out of the house in a gurney, she knew something was wrong.

“When we go out to the road, no more the ambulance already. One guy, he ran on the road to see the ambulance, but no more,” said Anabel Falcon.

Security footage from a nearby business shows the ambulance with the lights flashing, leaving the narrow dead end road. And a few minutes later, someone with a flashlight comes out, presumably looking for the ambulance. Then came someone else pulling the patient on a gurney, with the patient’s family members following along. Neighbors couldn’t understand what was going on.

“That’s why I’m curious, how come the ambulance go first and the sick is on the stretcher running like that with the crewmen of the ambulance?” said one neighbor who didn’t want to be identified.

Neighbors said it didn’t take long for the thieves to strike. A witness said the ambulance had only been here for a few minutes when they saw it drive off without the patient.

The ambulance was found 20 minutes later on Middle Street, less than a mile from where it was taken. EMS said the ambulance was tracked by GPS from the EMS Communications Center. Sources said two men fled the scene after dropping off the ambulance. EMS said nothing was stolen and there was no damage to the vehicle.

A spokesperson said there are situations when the crew is allowed to leave it unlocked with the engine running. But she can’t say anything more because the incident is under investigation. As for the patient, she says it only took a few more minutes to get another ambulance to take her to the hospital.

“The other ambulance, they came and then they put me inside the ambulance. I don’t know what happened because too much pain,” said Falcon.

HPD said no arrests have been made.