An Iowa man is facing a second-degree theft charge after he stole a taxi immediately after being discharged from Mercy Medical Center on Friday.
Luis Orellana-Rivera, 26, found the unoccupied taxi parked outside the hospital, noticed it still had the key inside the ignition, hopped inside and drove off after he was released from the hospital around 6 a.m., reported Des Moines police, according to CBS' Des Moines associate KCCI.
The taxi cab owner, noticing the vehicle was missing, immediately contacted authorities about the theft, prompting them to begin a search in the nearby area, officials at Trans Iowa said.
Police found Orellana-Rivera roughly half an hour later as he was leaving the vehicle with the key inside his pocket, according to the Associated Press.
After he was arrested, Orellana-Rivera was booked into Polk County Jail on a second-degree theft charge. When asked why he stole the taxi, he revealed he stole it because he didn't want to walk six blocks to reach his home.
He remained at the county jail up through Sunday, and its unclear if he posted bail - if he was granted such an opportunity to begin with, reported NBC Chicago. Court records do not list an attorney.
