Man arrested after stealing ambulance from Hialeah Hospital, police say
A 23-year-old man is in police custody after allegedly stealing an ambulance, according to Hialeah police.
The ambulance was stolen early Tuesday morning from Hialeah Hospital, authorities said. The incident took place when the ambulance driver, an employee of MCT Express Ambulance Service, went into the hospital to admit a patient when the ambulance was stolen, according to police.
Hialeah police said officers were able to track the ambulance's location in real-time with GPS tracking and live camera feeds inside the ambulance.
The ambulance was quickly located by Miami-Dade police officers, who conducted a felony traffic stop.
Police said the driver, Elijah Luis Montanez, was taken into custody around 3:45 a.m. without incident. He was charged with grand theft of a vehicle.
According to an arrest affidavit, Montanez is homeless.
Police said the ambulance was safely returned to MCT.
MCT releases statement
On Tuesday, MCT released the following statement about the stolen ambulance:
"At approximately 3:15am on September 16, 2025, Miami-Dade Ambulance Service responded to a dispatch request from Hialeah Hospital for an urgent interfacility patient transfer to Jackson Hospital."
"While EMS personnel were in the process of accepting the patient, the Ambulance Unit was stolen.
"Dispatch personnel immediately contacted Hialeah Police, and communicated the vehicle's GPS movement, which led to the timely recovery of the Ambulance."
"Hialeah Police arrested the suspect, and the Ambulance was retrieved on the corner of NW 27th Avenue and the Eastbound 112 access point. The Ambulance was not damaged, nor was there any missing equipment."