Overview
- Tokyo police arrested a man in his 50s on Oct. 28 on suspicion of taking a Tokyo Fire Department ambulance in Machida the previous night.
- The vehicle went missing around 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 as three crew members attended to a patient and was recovered about 30 minutes later roughly 6 kilometers away in Hachioji.
- No accidents or injuries were reported, and the patient declined transport, so emergency response was not disrupted.
- Authorities say internal rules require removing the key and locking the ambulance when crews step away, and reports indicate those steps were not followed.
- Police have not disclosed the suspect’s admission or motive, and the investigation remains ongoing.