A man who allegedly stole a fire truck while first responders were at a call in downtown Buffalo, New York, has been arraigned on numerous felony and misdemeanor charges, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Bill Renaldo, the commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department, told KTLA sister station WIVB that a four-member crew was responding to an EMS call around 11:50 p.m. on Thursday when they came back outside and realized their truck was gone.
Renaldo was unsure how long the truck was unattended, though the air brakes were engaged, he said, making it difficult to drive away.
The truck was later found roughly a mile away. Renaldo added that someone inside a nearby bar used a fire extinguisher on the abandoned truck because it had become smoky, possible because the air brakes were engaged.
The thief also hit two parked cars during his joy ride, Renaldo said. The engine should be back in service soon.
The suspect, Yassin A. Abdikadir, 25, was charged with one count of fourth-degree grand larceny and one count of criminal possession of stolen property, both of which are felonies. Misdemeanor changes include obstructing emergency medical services, reckless driving, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
The DA’s office said Abdikadir was also charged in connection with another crime that occurred the night before. They allege he entered an Buffalo restaurant in the very early hours of Thursday morning, broke into a storage cabinet, and stole approximately 50 bottles of alcohol. This incident landed him two additional felony charges for burglary and grand larceny, as well as a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge.
Abdikadir is scheduled to return to court on Friday, Aug. 26. The DA’s office said he was released on his own recognizance because the charges are non-qualifying offenses for bail.