A woman staying at a homeless shelter in New Orleans has been charged with kidnapping, after allegedly getting behind the wheel of a stalled ambulance while an EMS crew were inside, tending to a patient.
Law enforcement responded to a medical call at Ozanam Inn, a homeless shelter, around 7 p.m. on Tuesday. While medics were treating a man inside an ambulance, Valerie Barron, who was staying at the shelter, allegedly jumped into the driver's seat and took off on a three-mile excursion that ended when another EMS crew stopped the vehicle and pulled out the driver, WDSU reported.
Police detained Barron and transported her to University Medical Center for a psychiatric evaluation while the patient was transferred to another vehicle.
Before the incident, Renee Blanche, CEO of the shelter, told WDSU Barron had started showing signs of an "episode," including erratic behavior and claims that she was being tased.
Police sought an arrest warrant and will charge Barron with simple kidnapping and various traffic offenses when she is released from the medical center.
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