The man who police say stole a DeKalb County Fire Rescue ambulance with two medics inside, later crashing the vehicle into a chiropractor’s office, remained jailed without bond Monday, a DeKalb sheriff’s spokesman said.
The wild incident began just before 2 p.m. Saturday as the paramedics completed paperwork in the back of the ambulance, which was parked on the emergency room ramp at Emory University Hospital on Clifton Road.
Fire officials told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that a man dressed in a hospital gown and rubber gloves jumped in the front seat of the vehicle, turned and told the paramedics to “be quiet and hold on,” then drove several miles at high speeds before running off Church Street near Decatur, plowing down a utility pole and slamming through the front of Sandy Chiropractic.
After wrecking the ambulance, the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Frank Ponquinette, jumped out and fled on foot.
Ponquinette was taken into custody several hours later at a nearby shopping center and charged with two counts of kidnapping and interference with government property.
He remained in the DeKalb jail without bond late Monday morning, sheriff’s Sgt. Adrion Bell said.
The two paramedics suffered minor injuries in the incident.
The ambulance was totaled and the chiropractic office sustained heavy damage.
About the Author
