MERIDIAN — The Meridian Police Department is searching for a suspect who allegedly stole an ambulance late Wednesday night and then crashed it into the Portico North building a little after midnight Thursday morning, according to MPD.

“This was absolutely an act of violence,” Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea said in a nearly four-minute-long statement-only news conference, which was held at noon on Thursday.

The crash happened at about 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning. As of press time, the suspect in the incident remained at large.

At 11:10 p.m. Wednesday, officers from Meridian and Boise police departments, Ada County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and Meridian Fire Department firefighters responded to a 911 call reporting a Canyon County Paramedics ambulance had been stolen from the ambulance bay at “St. Luke’s West,” according to Basterrechea.

Jordan Robinson, MPD’s public information officer, clarified that the building that housed the ambulance was St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center.

There were no Canyon County Paramedics personnel inside the ambulance at the time of the incident, according to Aaron Williams II, director of Canyon County Constituent Services. The suspect was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leases space out of the building, which sits one block north of St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center.

The Portico North building — which is located at 3277 E. Louise Drive, just north of the Interstate 84 and Eagle Road interchange and owned by St. Luke’s Health System — houses some of the hospital’s administrative offices.

Christine Myron, public relations and communications representative for St. Luke’s, said she could confirm the hospital’s “awareness and that we are working with law enforcement as they investigate this incident at our Portico North Office building.”

“St. Luke’s does not offer any clinical patient care in the Portico North building,” Myron said. “However, with the investigation ongoing, significant damage and needed clean up, we have closed that office building for the day.”

Michael Stowell, Canyon County Paramedics chief, also gave a statement about the incident.

“Our priority remains the safety and well-being of the community and our staff,” Stowell said. “We are cooperating fully with responding agencies and extend our gratitude to the Meridian Police Department and other partners for their support in this situation.”

The glass doors and windows at the entrance to the Portico North building were shattered throughout. Police estimate that the ambulance was traveling at about 25 mph when it hit the building, {span}Robinson said{/span}.

No injuries had been reported as of early Thursday afternoon.

Myron confirmed no employees were in the Portico North building at the time of the incident. She also confirmed the Portico North building sustained significant damage and remains closed.

In addition to that, Myron confirmed patient care at the hospital just south of the Portico North building was not impacted and that its clinical services remained open.

“There is no indication of an ongoing threat to the broader public at this time,” Basterrechea said.

Basterrechea provided “preliminary information.” He would not answer any questions because “there are still a lot of unknowns and I will not be providing any information which we believe could hinder our investigation.”

Basterrechea summarized the events.

“Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect drove the ambulance north through the parking lot and retrieved gas cans that had been staged in nearby vegetation,” Basterrechea said. “The suspect then drove the ambulance directly into the North Portico building, which houses Department of Homeland Security offices. Investigators believe the suspect poured an accelerant (a substance used to aid the spread of fire) inside and around the outside of the ambulance. At this time it appears the suspect was unable the ignite the accelerant before being scared off by responding agencies. We want to emphasize that this was a serious criminal act. The theft and destruction of an emergency vehicle not only created risk to responding personnel, but it also temporarily removed a critical medical resource from the community.”

It is unclear how the suspect stole the Canyon County ambulance and why it was across county lines in Ada County.

KTVB reported on Feb. 12 that DHS — the parent agency of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — is leasing an office space in the building. A St. Luke’s spokesperson clarified that ICE agents will not be stationed there.

“Our understanding, then and now, is that this location is not a processing facility for Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” the spokesman told KTVB. “The leased space is used as administrative office space for DHS, and ICE officers are not stationed there as part of this arrangement.”

It has not been confirmed that the crash and Homeland Security’s connection to the building are related.

Basterrechea addressed the attention levied towards DHS and ICE, acknowledging “There has been a lot of rhetoric surrounding Department of Homeland Security leasing office space at this location.”

He noted how people on social media have posted that “property damage isn’t violence.” Basterrechea said that is “absolutely false.”

DHS did not reply to multiple requests for comment by press time.

The situation could have been worse.

“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,” Basterrechea said.

Basterrechea said the suspect remains “outstanding,” and “we are actively working to identify and locate them.”

MPD is leading the investigation, in coordination with the FBI, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF), DHS, Idaho State Police and “our other regional law enforcement partners.”

Anyone with information related to this incident is urged to contact the Meridian Police Department at 208-888-6678, or email any tips to crimetips@meridiancity.org. People can also call 208-895-3362.

“We appreciate the coordinated response of all the first responders who assisted us and continue to support this investigation,” Basterrechea said. “We will provide updates as additional information is confirmed. However, I do want you to know that any information that we believe would hinder our investigation will not be released at any time. We want to make sure this investigation is as clean as possible and that we bring the people responsible to justice.”