A Latvian man who stole an ambulance from outside Limassol hospital on Sunday and later abandoned it, appears to have done so to treat a leg injury on his own as he was wanted by police in connection with burglaries, it emerged on Monday.
He was remanded by the court for eight days while the incident sparked an investigation by the health ministry as to how someone could just take off with an ambulance from the hospital grounds.
Police on Sunday arrested a 39-year-old suspected of having stolen an ambulance earlier in the day and abandoning it on the coastal road after crashing into two cars. He had driven off early Sunday with the ambulance after breaking through the parking barrier. A woman who was driving one of the two cars he crashed into was injured and taken to a private hospital. The suspect then fled on foot. Following a tip-off, police were able to locate a man matching his description and took him into custody just after noon on Sunday.
According to police, the 39-year old Latvian had gone to the hospital with an injured foot and it seems he registered at the A&E with a fake name but at some point appeared to change his mind, left the examining room and took the ambulance instead.
Police identified the man as a Latvian national who was wanted by police since 2010 in connection with a series of residential burglaries in the area.
They were also now investigating offences involving forgery, malicious damage, negligent driving and causing an accident, driving without a licence, and leaving the scene of an accident.
On Monday morning, after his leg injury was treated overnight he was moved from the hospital to the court for his remand hearing.
Health Minister George Pamboridis, in the morning confirmed he had ordered a probe into the incident.
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