Boise Woman Arrested for Attempted Arson on DHS Offices in Meridian, Idaho Using Stolen Ambulance
- Rex Ballard
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
Sarah Elizabeth George, 43, of Boise, was taken into custody Monday evening after a coordinated investigation by Meridian Police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). She faces two federal felony charges in connection with the February 18 incident in which authorities say she stole an ambulance, crashed it into a government-leased building, and attempted to set it ablaze with gasoline.
No one was injured, and no fire was successfully ignited.
Timeline of the Alleged Crime (Feb. 18, 2026)
6:13 a.m.: A Facebook account linked to “Sarah George” posted an AI-generated image of the White House on fire. The on-screen text read “If we arrest them all, the system will collapse,” with the caption: “If it can be destroyed by truth, then it should be destroyed; it was built in lies anyway.”
9:17 p.m.: George allegedly purchased two red gasoline cans, lighter fluid, and wire nails at the Walmart on Fairview Avenue in Meridian. Store surveillance captured a person matching her description carrying the items and a dark-colored pickup (later identified as a blue Dodge Dakota) leaving the lot. A Walmart receipt and bag were later recovered inside the stolen ambulance.
9:29 p.m.: At the nearby Fred Meyer gas station on Fairview, surveillance shows her pumping gasoline into the cans using a loyalty card registered in her name.
10:38 p.m.: A dark pickup matching the Dakota was parked at the closed Primary Health clinic. A person matching George’s description walked toward St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center.
~11:00 p.m.: She allegedly stole an unoccupied Canyon County Paramedics ambulance parked outside the St. Luke’s ER (while a crew was inside transporting a patient).
11:06 p.m.: Interior ambulance camera footage shows her stopping in a nearby lot to load the staged gasoline cans and a plastic bag into the vehicle.
11:10 p.m.: She drove the ambulance into the south entrance of the Portico North building (off Eagle Road), crashing through the glass doors at approximately 25 mph. She then poured gasoline across the lobby floor, inside the ambulance, and around the outside of the vehicle in an apparent attempt to ignite the structure.
Walmart surveillance still from Feb. 18, 2026, 9:18 p.m., showing a woman matching George’s description carrying two red gasoline cans.
Idaho woman arrested for ambulance theft, attempted arson at DHS building | Fox News
She fled on foot as officers arrived. Dashcam and nearby business (RC Willey) footage captured her returning to the pickup at Primary Health around 11:22 p.m. and driving away.
Damage to the Portico North building entrance after the crash.
The stolen Canyon County Paramedics ambulance is being towed from the scene.
Meridian ambulance attack suspect still at large; Paramedics say 'It could have been so much worse' - East Idaho News
The Investigation: “Good Old-Fashioned Police Work”
Meridian Police described a rapid, multi-agency effort that relied heavily on surveillance footage and digital records:
Canvassing of businesses and neighborhoods yielded video from Walmart, Fred Meyer, Primary Health, St. Luke’s, the ambulance’s interior camera, the Portico building, police dashcams, and RC Willey.
The Fred Meyer loyalty card provided George’s full name.
Her DMV photo matched the suspect in the footage.
The blue Dodge Dakota was linked through a Feb. 6 traffic stop bodycam (showing George driving the same truck), family vehicle registration records, and 2024 Google Maps imagery of the truck at an address associated with her.
Feb. 6, 2026, bodycam still from a traffic stop showing George in the blue Dodge Dakota, later tied to the incident.
Idaho woman accused of attempting to set fire to DHS building with stolen ambulance - Local News
Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea announced the arrest.
Meridian Police announce suspect arrested in case of stolen ambulance crash into Meridian building.
Chief Tracy Basterrechea stated: “The suspect took that ambulance and drove it into the Portico North building, where they had also staged gasoline and poured gasoline inside of the ambulance as well as on the floor, outside of the ambulance, in what we believe was an attempt to burn the building.” He added, “This conduct is unacceptable. It will be investigated, and it will be charged to the fullest extent of the law.”
St. Luke’s Health System owns the Portico North building and leases space to the U.S. General Services Administration for Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices.
Charges and Next Steps
George was arrested at her Boise residence on federal warrants. She faces:
Attempted malicious destruction of government property by fire (18 U.S.C. § 844(f)(1))
Malicious destruction of property used in or affecting interstate commerce by fire (18 U.S.C. § 844(i))
Each count carries a possible penalty of 5 to 20 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors are seeking to keep her detained pending trial, citing public safety concerns. The investigation remains ongoing; additional charges are possible.
Authorities have officially released no motive.
This case highlights the critical roles of surveillance, loyalty card data, and inter-agency cooperation in quickly solving serious crimes. Court records and the full probable cause affidavit are expected to provide even more detail as the federal case proceeds in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho.
