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Florida man arrested for stealing ambulance
FOX 13's Jordan Bowen reports on the Tampa man accused of stealing an ambulance and taking it on a joyride through South Tampa Saturday night, making his first court appearance on Monday.
TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa man accused of stealing an ambulance and taking it on a joyride through South Tampa on Saturday night faced a judge on Monday, with prosecutors saying this is not his first DUI arrest.
The backstory:
Florida Highway Patrol troopers said the driver, 43-year-old Michael J. Esquilin, ended up leading troopers on a chase that lasted several miles. He was seen running several stop signs, at times driving on the wrong side of the road and almost hitting multiple cars.
RELATED: Suspect leads troopers on miles-long chase after stealing ambulance: FHP
He eventually stopped at South Hubert Avenue and West Empedrado Street, where troopers said he can be seen on video drinking a beer. Troopers then proceeded to yank him out of the driver's seat and put him in handcuffs.
FHP said Esquilin admitted that he had been drinking for the past two days and stole the ambulance after being denied a ride home by emergency personnel.
What they're saying:
On Monday, he made his first court appearance, and prosecutors said this isn't the first time Esquilin has been accused of drinking and driving.
"Your honor, he does have four prior DUIs," the prosecutor said in court on Monday. "The state is very concerned by the facts of this case where there's a complete, blatant disregard for authority in this case, Your Honor. And I'm concerned by the facts and post-Miranda admissions made by the defendant."
"Your honor Mr. Esquilin has lived in the county for 15 years," a defense attorney for the suspect said. "He has extensive family in the area, and he is currently unemployed, has no income and cannot afford bond."
Big picture view:
Judge J. Logan Murphy had this to say in response to the defense's comments:
"Based on the nature and circumstances of the offenses past and present conduct, which indicates a risk of harm to the community, not just because of the DUI, but because, as the state argued, lack of regard for authority during the fleeing to elude high speed in this particular case, and because of, again, what I find to be a risk of harm to the community based on his statements in this case, I'm imposing a screen monitor and a GPS monitor. No alcohol during the pendency of this case."
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Local perspective:
Tampa Fire Rescue released the following statement in response to the incident:
"On the evening of March 15, 2025, an incident occurred involving a Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance that was unlawfully taken from the premises of HCA South Tampa Hospital while TFR personnel were in the process of transferring a patient to the facility. Thanks to the swift and coordinated efforts of the Florida Highway Patrol and the Tampa Police Department, the vehicle was quickly recovered, and the individual responsible was taken into custody without injury to members of the public, law enforcement, or Tampa Fire Rescue personnel.
We are grateful that no one was harmed during this incident, especially given the reckless actions of the suspect, which posed a serious threat to the community. The security of our personnel, equipment, and the community we serve remains our top priority. Tampa Fire Rescue is conducting an internal review to assess and strengthen security protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
We appreciate the dedication and professionalism of our law enforcement partners and extend our sincere thanks for their rapid response and effective resolution of this situation. Tampa Fire Rescue remains committed to providing the highest level of emergency services to our community and ensuring the safety and well-being of all."
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Dig deeper:
Esquilin is facing the following charges:
- Burglary of an emergency vehicle
- Grand theft of an emergency vehicle
- Fleeing and eluding
- Driving while license suspended
- DUI
- Resisting arrest
As of Monday night, Esquilin remains in the Hillsborough County Jail being held on a $33,000 bond.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered during Michael J. Esquilin's first court appearance. It also contains previous FOX 13 News reports.
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