Idaho Authorities Hunt for Ambulance Thief Who Crashed into DHS Office
In a brazen act, a suspect stole an ambulance from St. Luke's hospital in Meridian, Idaho, late Wednesday night, leading authorities on a search for answers. The incident unfolded around 11:10 p.m. when the individual drove the vehicle into a building housing U.S. Department of Homeland Security offices.
Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea reported that the suspect poured an unidentified accelerant over the ambulance, both inside and out. “It appears the suspect was unable to ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies,” he stated, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation.
Witnesses observed the suspect navigating through a parking lot before retrieving gas cans from nearby vegetation. Images captured during the aftermath revealed shattered glass doors at the entrance of the office building, highlighting the chaos that ensued.
The building, part of a larger complex known as The Portico, is owned by St. Luke's Health System and also houses several other tenants, including health insurance company SelectHealth Inc., St. Luke’s Home Health and Hospice, and Quest Diagnostics.
This incident comes amid ongoing criticism directed at the hospital for leasing space to the Department of Homeland Security during a time of heightened immigration enforcement under the previous administration. Basterrechea noted, “There has been a lot of rhetoric” surrounding this lease, while firmly stating that “comments on social media such as ‘property damage isn’t violence’ is absolutely false.”
Describing the event as “a serious criminal act,” he asserted, “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.”
The investigation is being led by Basterrechea's department in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DHS, and other agencies as they work to locate the suspect responsible for this alarming incident.
