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…