Saturday night is a time to kick back and relax.
One man took things way too far celebrating the weekend.
And a Florida man led police on a scary chase after he took this insane joyride.
Florida man steals an ambulance and goes on a drunken joyride
Michael J. Esquilin, 43, had a Saturday night that he will never forget.
Police said that he had been drinking two days straight on a bender when he stole an ambulance and led them on a chase through the streets of Tampa, Florida.
Esquilin approached members of Tampa Fire Rescue about getting a ride while they were unloading a patient at HCA South Tampa Hospital.
The first responders refused to give him a ride, so he took matters into his own hands.
He stole the Tampa Fire Rescue ambulance and went on a joyride.
Video showed the ambulance driving with its lights on the wrong way down the road, knocking over stop signs, and weaving in and out of traffic barely missing other vehicles.
Cops in Florida say a man stole an ambulance and led law enforcement on a wild car chase through the streets of Tampa … finishing a can of beer before being dragged out of the driver’s seat.
Full, wild story: https://t.co/zgz7KTtVQs pic.twitter.com/cn8c1WtRi3
— TMZ (@TMZ) March 17, 2025
The Tampa police eventually stopped Esquilin, but he was not ready for the party to end yet.
He cracked open a beer and chugged in front of police before he was arrested.
Stealing the ambulance proved to be a bad decision for the unemployed Florida man.
Esquilin was charged with burglary of an authorized emergency vehicle, grand theft of emergency medical equipment, resisting arrest without violence, fleeing at a high speed, DUI, and driving without a license.
Prosecutors said that this was not his first rodeo.
“Your honor, he does have four prior DUIs,” a prosecutor told a judge. “The state is very concerned by the facts of this case where there’s a complete, blatant disregard for authority in this case, Your Honor.”
Neighbors woke up to pandemonium outside
Tampa resident Matt Alexander lived in the neighborhood where Esquilin was finally arrested after the ambulance chase.
“My wife told me about the commotion, so I came outside and see like 30 police officers, probably 10 cop cars and an ambulance,” Alexander told NBC 8. “I have two little kids, they’re sleeping, so I was more concerned about someone may be running around the neighborhood. So I just came outside, spoke to the cop, he said it was all handled. And then we went on the Ring apps just to find out what was going on.”
Judge J. Logan Murphy told Esquilin that the party was over during his initial court hearing.
“Based on the nature and circumstances of the offenses past and present conduct, which indicates a risk of harm to the community, not just because of the DUI, but because, as the state argued, lack of regard for authority during the fleeing to elude high speed in this particular case, and because of, again, what I find to be a risk of harm to the community based on his statements in this case, I’m imposing a screen monitor and a GPS monitor,” Murphy said.
“No alcohol during the pendency of this case,” Murphy added.
Michael Esquilin is going to be waiting a long time before he has a wild Saturday night again.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
