Officials in Idaho have a suspect in custody for last week's botched arson attack on a building in Meridian that housed offices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Boise resident Sarah Elizabeth George, 43, stands accused of stealing an ambulance, loading it up with gasoline cans, crashing it into the North Portico building, pouring gasoline on the lobby floor, then fleeing on foot. George fled before setting the gasoline on fire.
The incident took place late in the evening of February 18, and, according to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea, it was five days of "good old-fashioned police work" that led them to George. Prosecutors say George now faces federal charges of malicious destruction of government property by fire and malicious destruction of property used in or affecting interstate commerce, this according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. Each charge could win George a penalty of five to 20 years of hard time.
RedState's Bob Hoge reported on the crime last week, before Sarah Elizabeth George had been arrested.
The unknown attacker’s plot was pretty sinister: he reportedly stole an ambulance in the city of Meridian on Wednesday night, stuffed it with gasoline cans, and then rammed it into a Department of Homeland Security facility. The plan would have been successful — if he’d managed to ignite the accelerant, which he had also poured around the vehicle, but he was not able to before law enforcement scared him away. He was wearing a black shirt, tan pants, and a medical-style mask.
It's unknown at this point why George fled before setting fire to the gasoline, but, as Bob noted in his reporting, the plot was sinister and this could have been a large-scale disaster with many victims had she seen it through to the end.
When conducting their investigation into the incident, officials reportedly discovered a social media post allegedly made by George the morning of the crime that included an AI-generated image of the White House ablaze and the the caption, "If it can be destroyed by truth then it should be destroyed; it was built in lies anyways."
READ MORE: Tragedy Averted As Suspect's Plan to Torch ICE Facility Fails to Ignite
Independent journalist Katie Daviscourt took to X on Tuesday morning to give a detailed account of what happened on February 18; she included several pictures of the suspect, who appears to be a trans activist. There is no evidence or reporting at this point to indicate that George herself is trans, but the rainbow flag is featured all over her social media.
According to an FBI affidavit, on February 18, George allegedly stole an ambulance parked outside St. Luke Hospital in Canyon County.
— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) February 24, 2026
George then made a brief stop and loaded gas cans into the ambulance, which were stashed in bushes. pic.twitter.com/AK7FmP1cRX
The FBI affidavit included screenshots of George's Facebook account.
— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) February 24, 2026
On the morning of the attack, George shared a photo of the White House engulfed in flames, showing a possible motive. pic.twitter.com/VTaxyidBdG
Investigators used area security cameras to build their case against George, including footage showing her purchasing gasoline cans at a local Walmart, filling those cans up at a Fred Meyer gas station, and departing the Walmart in the same vehicle spotted near the ambulance carjacking.
Officials say the investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be filed against George.
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