Robert Rizzo, the rotund figure at the center of the Bell salary scandal, was supposed to be in court Wednesday for a hearing on misappropriation of public funds charges against him.

Instead, he ended up in an ambulance.

The defendant, who reportedly made as much as $1.5 million in salary and other compensation as the small, Latino municipality's city manager, apparently complained of chest pains.

Paramedics were called to the downtown Criminal Courts Building around 12:15 p.m.

Now, if we were facing 53 felony counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest, we'd feel a little tight-chested too.

But, Rizzo doesn't appear to be exactly in triathalon shape.

So godspeed, so he can be healthy enough to get back on the hot seat.

-With reporting from City News Service. Got news? Email us. Follow us on Twitter, too: @dennisjromero.

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