Fwd: FW: Suspect Identified in Ambulance Thefts

[Guest guest]

FYI, what follows is a press release from APD, a story from KVUE, and

information from TDSHS CertQuery.

Mike

________________________________

From: Chovanetz, Toni [APD]

Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 11:06 AM

To: Subject: Suspect Identified in Ambulance Thefts

The Austin Police Department has identified a suspect that has been

stealing items from area ambulances. During the investigation,

Organized Crime detectives worked with the Attorney General's Office,

EMS and a witness to identify a suspect. On December 21st, a search

warrant was executed in the 6700 block of Vine Street. Equipment

seized includes the following: bunker gear (consisting of

firefighting equipment), ballistic vest, cardiac arrest kit and a

cardiac monitor.

Commander Piatt will be available for interviews today at 1:00 pm,

1:15 pm and 1:30 pm at the Organized Crime Unit office located at 1106

Clayton Lane, 3rd floor – west tower. Seized items will be on

display.

Please call APD PIO to schedule an interview time.

Toni Chovanetz

Austin Police Department

Public Information Office

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Police: Ambulance thefts an inside job

04:06 PM CST on Friday, December 22, 2006

By RUDY KOSKI

KVUE News

Austin police detectives say a series of ambulance burglaries was an inside job.

KVUE News

Five of the burglarized ambulances have been attached to Austin/

County EMS.

The thefts happened outside of emergency rooms in Austin, starting in

late November. As paramedics wheeled in patients, someone was helping

themselves to the gear inside the ambulances.

The incidents happened at St. 's Hospital Central and the Seton

Hospital near 38th Street and Lamar Boulevard. Items taken included an

electronic unit that monitors the heart and can also act as a

defibrillator and supply bags, which carry oxygen IV fluids.

Its all worth more than $20,000, but EMS Commander says

the loss of all the gear could have had a much higher cost.

Investigators finally caught a break at Seton Medical Center December

10. During one of the thefts, one of the EMS employees saw someone.

According to court documents someone wearing a ski mask drove off in a

SUV, but not fast enough. Three license plate numbers were written

down and traced back to a house two miles away from the hospital.

Police searched it Friday morning.

" We've recovered everything that was listed as stolen, " said Commander

Harold Piatt, APD organized crime.

Levihn-Coon lives at the house with his parents. He is a former

Austin/ County paramedic. A family member who answered the door

told KVUE News he was not home, and the family had no comment.

" It is extremely disappointing that somebody who was a paramedic would

decide to do something like this, " said.

Commander says Levihn-Coon washed out of the program in January

after three days on the job. He had been arrested on a drug charge.

Investigators believe he was after valium and morphine kept with the

gear.

Detectives say they don't know what he was planning to do with all the

equipment.

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Owner's Name LEVIHN COON WILLIAM B & PAULA A

Mailing Address 6710 VINE STREET, AUSTIN, TX 78757-2309

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RYAN PAUL LEVIHN-COON

Deficiency EMS ID Application Date Type Status * Level

Certificate Effective Date Certification Expiration Date

Yes 171795 12/19/2005 Initial Pending - Deficiencies EMT-P

Your Deficiency is:

EEE: Administrative Review

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