By Shawn Henry 
A 43-year-old Idaho woman has been arrested after authorities say she stole an ambulance and deliberately drove it into a Meridian office building that houses the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Police reported the incident occurred around 11 p.m. on February 18, when the suspect allegedly took a Canyon County Paramedics ambulance from outside the St. Luke’s Hospital Emergency Center in Meridian. Investigators said she then drove the emergency vehicle into the entryway of the Portico North building before attempting to set it on fire. No injuries were reported.
Authorities said the woman’s actions unfolded over the course of several hours that night. Surveillance images from a Walmart in Meridian earlier in the evening show her purchasing two red gasoline cans and lighter fluid at a self-checkout register. A receipt time-stamped 9:17 p.m. documented the purchases. Later footage from a fuel station allegedly captured her filling the cans with gasoline shortly before the crash. According to the arrest affidavit, the rewards card used during the fuel purchase was registered in her name.
Police said the suspect drove the stolen ambulance directly into the building’s entrance, causing damage to the structure. Investigators determined that gasoline had been poured both inside the ambulance and on the lobby floor of the building in what authorities described as an attempt to ignite a fire. Shortly after the collision, a Meridian police dash camera allegedly captured the suspect walking across the street from the scene. Additional surveillance video later showed her getting into a pickup truck and leaving the area.
Law enforcement agencies moved quickly to identify and locate the suspect. Meridian police officers conducted an extensive investigation, canvassing the area for surveillance footage and speaking with potential witnesses. Idaho State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assisted in gathering evidence. Authorities said the coordinated effort led to her arrest within days of the incident.
According to court documents, the woman has been charged with attempted destruction of federal property by fire and malicious destruction of property used in or affecting interstate commerce by fire. Each charge carries a potential sentence ranging from five to 20 years in prison, along with possible fines. Investigators have also connected the suspect to social media activity that included controversial imagery posted prior to the incident.
Police confirmed that no one inside the building was harmed during the crash or the alleged attempt to ignite the fuel. The ambulance sustained significant damage, and the building’s entryway was impacted by the collision. Authorities have not indicated whether additional state-level charges related to the vehicle theft will be filed.
The suspect remains in custody as the federal case moves forward. Investigators have indicated the inquiry remains active, but the immediate threat has been contained following her arrest.
Source
John Lloyd