Search for Suspect in Ambulance Theft and Crash

Idaho authorities are on the lookout for an individual who reportedly stole an ambulance from a hospital, set it ablaze using accelerants, and crashed it into a building housing U.S. Department of Homeland Security offices.

Police Chief Tracy Bustlechea mentioned that it wasn’t clear whether the accelerants were poured inside or outside the ambulance.

“The suspect seemed to be thwarted in igniting the accelerants before law enforcement arrived,” he noted in a statement.

The incident occurred in Meridian, a Boise suburb, around 11:10 p.m. on Wednesday, according to police.

The suspect took an ambulance from St. Luke’s Hospital and navigated through the parking lot, as Bustlechea outlined. They also retrieved a gas can from nearby bushes.

Footage from the scene showed the glass door at the building’s entrance shattering upon impact.

This building, owned by St. Luke’s Health System, is part of a larger commercial complex called Portico, situated adjacent to the hospital.

Portico North is home to various tenants, including the health insurance company SelectHealth, St. Luke’s Home Health, Hospice, and Quest Diagnostics.

The hospital has faced backlash over leasing space to the Department of Homeland Security during the immigration policy changes under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Bustlechea commented on the surrounding rhetoric, stating, “Comments on social media alleging that property damage isn’t violence are entirely misleading.”

He described the whole event as a “significant criminal act.”

“This was a clear act of violence. Had the suspect been successful, this building would have caught fire and put many lives at risk, including those of first responders,” Bustlechea remarked.

The investigation is being led by his department, collaborating with the FBI, DHS, and other agencies.