Staff reports
Clearlake >> A man who police believe was on drugs was reportedly caught attempting to steal an ambulance in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Medics had just dropped off a patient at St. Helena Hospital, Clearlake when they discovered Matthew Holmes in the driver’s seat of their ambulance parked in front of the emergency room, according to a report by Clearlake Sgt. Tim Hobbs.
Holmes, 33, was scrambling to find keys, moving the sun visors and looking around inside.
When one of the Lake County Fire Protection District paramedics yelled for the Rohnert Park resident to get out of the vehicle, he complied.
Officers from the Clearlake Police Department were dispatched at about 2:20 a.m. to the hospital on 18th Avenue and were at the scene within minutes, Hobbs reported.
Upon questioning, Holmes allegedly admitted to officers he was trying to steal the ambulance and take it to Kelseyville. Holmes was also reportedly showing signs and symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance.
He was arrested and booked into the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility on drug and attempted vehicle theft of an ambulance charges.
