Homeless Man Held for Court in Theft of Ambulance in Swissvale

Jonathan Miracle, 19, the homeless man who stole an Eastern Area Prehospital Services ambulance from in front of the Swissvale Fire Station, was held for court on Feb. 6 by District Judge Thomas Caulfield in his Forest Hills courtroom.

A formal arraigment is scheduled for 11 a.m. March 26 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on charges of theft by unlawful taking-moveable property and criminal mischief-tampering with property filed by Swissvale police.

According to a criminal complaint, the operator of the ambulance called police to report that the vehicle was missing at 9:45 p.m. on Jan. 8. The operator told police he'd left the vehicle outside at about 8:30 p.m.

A review of a surveillance video showed a man entering the driver's side of the 2008 Dodge Sprinter ambulance at 8:49 p.m. and driving away toward McCague Street.

Police issued a "be on the lookout" for the vehicle within a 99 mile radius. On Jan. 9, the ambulance was recovered in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, and Miracle was taken into custody. The ambulance was also involved in a hit-and-run accident in Youngwood, sustaining damage that made it nearly impossible to drive, according to the complaint.

Pennsylvania State Police from the Greensburg barracks are handling the investigation. Miracle was held in the Westmoreland County Jail, unable to post bail.

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