Authorities in Idaho are on the hunt for a suspect accused of stealing an ambulance and crashing it into an office complex that includes facilities leased by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the New York Post reports. The bizarre late-night incident unfolded Wednesday around 11:10 p.m. in Meridian, a suburb of Boise.
Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea said the suspect took the ambulance from St. Luke’s Hospital and drove it across the property before covering the vehicle inside and out with an accelerant. Investigators believe the person also retrieved gas containers hidden in nearby brush before the confrontation. “It appears the suspect was unable to ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies,” Basterrechea reported.
Television footage from the scene shows the front entrance of the office building covered in shattered glass. The damaged structure belongs to St. Luke’s Health System and is located in The Portico, a cluster of business buildings adjacent to the hospital. Among its tenants are SelectHealth Inc., Quest Diagnostics, and St. Luke’s Home Health and Hospice divisions.
In recent years, St. Luke’s has drawn criticism for renting part of its facility to the Department of Homeland Security, particularly as the Trump administration’s immigration policies have tightened enforcement nationwide.
The Post reports, Basterrechea said, “There has been a lot of rhetoric” regarding the lease, adding that “comments on social media such as ‘property damage isn’t violence’ is absolutely false.” He characterized the act as deliberately dangerous, stating,“This was absolutely an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk.”
According to the chief, local police are leading the inquiry with assistance from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and additional federal partners.