38-year-old charged Ambulance stolen for love tour - and then burnt
Bonn · The public prosecutor’s office in Bonn has pressed charges against a 38-year-old who is suspected to have stolen an ambulance to go on a love tour with his ex-girlfriend and to have subsequently set fire to the vehicle.
There had been no emergency call prior to this, yet an ambulance arrived with flashing blue lights and the siren wailing at an address in Tannenbusch in Dezember 2017. The only emergency was seemingly the driver’s: The 38-year-old had stolen the ambulance at the site of an emergency service - and believed he could thus impress his girlfriend who had broken up with him just before the incident.
The 35-year-old had remained cool when her ex announced he would call in: He texted her that he’d get an ambulance and in it he’d come to see her and drop off her apartment keys. But when the ambulance turned into her street with incredible noise, the ex-girlfriend did not find this funny anymore. She also refused his invitation to go for a spin.
This case of unusual proof of love will now be discussed in Bonn’s district court. The public prosecutor’s office accuses the „ambulance driver“ - in real life branch manager of a drugstore - of burglary. And arson. The 38-year-old suspect and his 24-year-old friend are thought to have driven the ambulance to the Waldenburger Ring and to have set it on fire after the invitation failed. The vehicle burnt out entirely. The scene was witnessed: During the night an anonymous call was made to the brother of a police officer. The caller had taken several photos of the accused in front of the burning ambulance.
The 38-year-old denies the crime. He said he was at the scene at 4am coincidentally and was pictured as a spectator. His ex-girlfriend however had told the investigators that the suspect called into her place two days after the crime and had shown her pictures of the scene and named his accomplice too.
(Original text: Ulrike Schödel / Translation: Mareike Graepel)
