The Bellevue Police Department confirmed that a Tri-Med wheelchair van was stolen Saturday afternoon from Overlake Hospital by a man who was arrested earlier today.
The suspect is a 27-year-old white male, five feet seven inches and 145 pounds.
The man was causing a disturbance in the lobby at the Red Lion Hotel in Bellevue when police were called at about 1:30 p.m. The manager reported that the man was trespassing. When the police got there, they found that the suspect had a previous warrant for his arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia in Bothell.
When arrested, the man told officers that he had swallowed heroin. Protocol dictated that police were required to take him to a hospital to get medically cleared.
The man was not in custody when he was released from the hospital, and therefore the hospital did not need to notify anyone. When discharged, he exited the building, saw the van and stole it.
Officers are gathering surveillance at the hospital and looking for the suspect. There is no danger to the public at this time because the previous warrant was not a violent crime.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
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