TAMPA, FL – Tampa Police officers quickly recovered a stolen fire engine and arrested a suspect Tuesday morning.
According to investigators, at approximately 9:25 a.m., 59-year-old Warren Scudder stole a fire engine while firefighters were inside St. Joseph’s Hospital.
Scudder drove away and collided with a gray Lexus SUV near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and MacDill Ave. The male driver of the Lexus reported hip pain and was evaluated by hospital staff.
Officers located the stolen fire engine minutes later and blocked its path in the 4100 block of Poplar Ave at about 9:38 a.m. Scudder was taken into custody without further incident.
He was charged with Grand Theft Auto and Hit & Run. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
Background:
Scudder has a history of arrests in Pinellas County. On January 9, 2020, he went to Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, complaining of chest pains. After being medically cleared and released, he called the hospital and stated there was a bomb in the building. Scudder later told police he had been drinking all day and was upset that doctors discharged him because he believed something was wrong with him.
This was not his first such incident. In 2014, Scudder was arrested for making a similar bomb threat at the same hospital. He was later sentenced to five years in prison for the 2020 offense and was released on April 8, 2024, according to state prison records.
Court and jail records show Scudder has faced multiple arrests in Pinellas County, including one in September 2025.
The case remains under active investigation.