A man who left a Carmichael hospital while on a mental health hold was arrested after taking a car occupied by a 13-year-old.
CARMICHAEL, Calif — A man on a mental health hold walked away from a Carmichael hospital before stealing a car with a child inside minutes later, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened just before 4 p.m. Friday at Mercy San Juan Medical Center. Sheriff’s officials said the man had been admitted to the hospital on a 5150 hold, which allows for the temporary detention of a person deemed a danger to themselves or others because of a mental health condition.
Despite the hold, hospital staff are not legally allowed to physically restrain patients who attempt to leave, officials said. After the man walked out, staff called for a welfare check.
“In that time frame, roughly 15 minutes or so, he walks out, actually finds a running vehicle, goes inside that vehicle that has a 13-year-old boy in it,” said Sgt. Amar Gandhi of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
The child was able to jump out of the vehicle safely before the man drove away.
“The 13-year-old boy luckily had the wherewithal to get the heck out of there really quick,” Gandhi said. “So good for him.”
Deputies flooded the area and located the suspect within about 15 minutes, arresting him a few blocks from the hospital without incident. Officials said when the man left the hospital he was wearing a hospital gown, but had changed into civilian clothes he found inside the stolen vehicle, which belonged to a doctor at the hospital.
No one was injured, but Gandhi said the incident underscores broader problems with how mental health cases are handled, particularly in emergency rooms.
“This is the gap and this is what you see when you don’t actually fund it properly and build an infrastructure to actually deal with the mental health crisis that we have,” Gandhi said. “The hospital emergency rooms are not equipped for this.”
He added that many people experiencing severe mental health crises ultimately end up in jail, not because it is appropriate, but because there are few alternatives.
“Do you know the number one provider for mental health services in Sacramento County?” Gandhi said. “Sacramento County Main Jail.”
The suspect is expected to be charged with vehicle theft. Gandhi said the case does not meet the legal standard for carjacking because no force or threats were used.
“This will be treated as a stolen vehicle,” he said. “It is a felony, but this is a nonviolent felony, so even as far as the criminal side goes, he’s not going to do really any time.”
Absent additional mental health intervention, Gandhi said the suspect could be released quickly.
“If he’s not out by tomorrow morning before sunrise, I’d be shocked,” he said.
Officials said the investigation is ongoing but emphasized the incident highlights ongoing concerns about mental health resources, public safety, and gaps in the current system.
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