Man steals woman’s car after fleeing hospital psychiatric hold: Hialeah police

A man forced himself into a woman’s car in the Palmetto General Hospital parking lot Thursday morning after fleeing the facility where he was brought under an involuntary psychiatric hold, Hialeah police say.

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A Miami-Dade sheriff’s deputy had brought the man to the hospital under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows authorities to place people experiencing mental-health emergencies under involuntary psychiatric care for up to 72 hours.

After the deputy left the hospital, at 2001 West 68th Street, he ran away, said Hialeah police spokesman Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, emphasizing the man did not escape the deputy’s custody.

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When he reached the parking lot, he ran up to a woman getting out of her car and forced himself inside and drove off, Rodriguez said. There were no reported injuries, according to police.

The incident is under investigation, and police have not said if the man, who has not been named, has been caught.

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This story will be updated.