83-year-old upset over hospital care steals an ambulance to get away, police say

Authorities on Long Island say an 83-year-old man has been arrested after checking himself out of a hospital and stealing an ambulance.

Police say Donald Winkler, of Merrick, was upset with the quality of care he was receiving and checked himself out of Nassau University Medical Center around 1 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators say Winkler then stole an ambulance from the hospital parking lot that had the keys in the ignition.

Police say they later found the man at a nearby 7-Eleven. Investigators say he admitted to taking the ambulance.

Winkler was arrested, taken back to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Bail was set at $3,000 at a bedside arraignment.

Winkler is charged with second-degree grand larceny. He is represented by Legal Aid, which does not comment on pending cases.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 3:03 PM with the headline "83-year-old upset over hospital care steals an ambulance to get away, police say."