Drunk teen stole car, crashed it, then jumped out of ambulance, SLO police say
A teenager was arrested in downtown San Luis Obispo after allegedly crashing a stolen car, fleeing an ambulance and resisting arrest while drunk early Tuesday morning.
Shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol requested help from the San Luis Obispo Police Department to investigate a single-vehicle car crash near the intersection of March and Higuera streets in downtown San Luis Obispo.
The vehicle had “extensive damage,” but the driver was nowhere near the car when officers arrived, SLO police said in a Thursday news release.
During their investigation, officers discovered evidence that led them to believe the person had driven northbound on Higuera Street, going the wrong direction on the one-way road. The driver potentially rolled the car after slamming into and knocking over a utility pole, the release said.
Officers also found an open bottle of vodka sitting on the dashboard of the vehicle beneath the shattered windshield.
Police then tracked down the registered owner of the vehicle, who told officers that her ex-boyfriend had stolen her car after physically assaulting her, according to the release. An employee working at the Marsh Street Chevron also told police that a man had entered the store and appeared “visibly intoxicated.”
Right after, another individual reported to police that a suspicious person — who matched the description of the suspect — was witnessed inside Avila Senior Living, a retirement home on Marsh Street.
Police were then able to apprehend and detain the “heavily intoxicated” person, who was determined to be 17 years old. The suspect acknowledged to officers that he was the one who crashed the car, according to the release.
Emergency Medical Services attempted to transport the suspect to the hospital for evaluation, but “while in the parked ambulance, he jumped out and ran,” police said.
Officers were able to detain him and get him back into the ambulance, but once he arrived at the hospital, he attempted to flee again and was “abusive towards hospital staff and officers,” according to the release.
Eventually, the suspect was medically cleared and taken to the Juvenile Services Center in San Luis Obispo.
The teen was booked on three felony charges, including grand theft automobile, corporal injury and vehicle theft, as well as three misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, hit-and-run and resisting arrest, police said in the release.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 2:22 PM.
