TAMPA, Fla. (CNN) — A Florida man is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing an ambulance from a Tampa hospital and leading police on a high-speed chase over the weekend.
Authorities say Michael J. Esquilin, 43, was spotted by the Florida Highway Patrol shortly after an alert about the stolen vehicle. When troopers attempted to make a traffic stop, Esquilin fled, leading officers on a chase for several miles. During the pursuit, he drove on the wrong side of the road, narrowly avoiding collisions with other vehicles.
The chase ended in a neighborhood where Esquilin was seen drinking a beer in full view of the troopers. He then resisted arrest, and authorities say he admitted to being intoxicated for the past two days. Esquilin claimed he stole the ambulance after emergency personnel refused to give him a ride home.
Esquilin is facing several charges, including grand theft of an emergency vehicle, driving with a suspended license, DUI, and resisting arrest.
