Chaos engulfed the Downey community this past Saturday as two unrelated criminal incidents made tragic headlines. Following a fatal stabbing outside the Downey City Library, a bizarre pursuit ensued when a man stole an ambulance from the crime scene. The Downey Police Department received a call around 9:40 a.m., reporting a stabbing victim found near the 11000 block of Brockshire Avenue, as CBS News documented. The victim, a male whose identity was not released, succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Witnesses said the suspect, a 23-year-old transient, fled on foot toward Downey High School, where he was later apprehended. Amid the commotion, as emergency crews treated the victim, a 52-year-old Los Angeles man stole a Downey Fire Department ambulance, sparking a chase that ended in a crash in Alhambra, according to CBS News.
The suspect, involved in neither the initial altercation nor the stabbing, found himself exposed after his pants fell around his ankles during the arrest. Footage obtained by KTLA revealed the commotion at the library parking lot, which was shared with Downey City Hall and the police department. Witnesses caught on video the moment the ambulance was hijacked and the subsequent chase, with police officers in hot pursuit. he chase ended when the ambulance hit a parked car on a residential street.
While investigations into both the murder and the stolen ambulance continue, the Downey Police Department assures the public that these incidents seem isolated. They are encouraging anyone with additional information to step forward and contact the investigators directly, as stated by CBS News.
