Inmate Tries Escaping From Ambulance: Sonoma Sheriff's Office

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Sonoma man serving a two-year sentence at Sonoma County Jail will likely be serving even more time after his alleged escape attempt, a sheriff's official said. It happened at about 8:30 p.m. Friday as the inmate, identified by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office as 30-year-old Timothy Schoonover, 30, was in an ambulance on his way to Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa, sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said in a news release.

Schoonover was being taken to the hospital after exhibiting medical problems, Crum said.

"While being transported to the hospital, Schoonover sat up, unbuckled his two seatbelts and attempted to get up off the gurney," Crum said. "Paramedics in the ambulance were able to wrestle with him and keep him on the gurney."

The ambulance driver immediately pulled over and a deputy who was following the ambulance was able to hold Schoonover down on the gurney while paramedics used restraints to secure him to the gurney, Crum said.

Schoonover's trip to the hospital continued, and after he was medically cleared he was taken back to jail.

Crum said Schoonover was serving time for vandalism and felony resisting arrest but now faces a new charge for the alleged attempted escape.

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