Idaho authorities are searching for a suspect who allegedly stole an ambulance, doused it with an accelerant, and rammed it into a building in Meridian that houses leased office space for the Department of Homeland Security.

Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea said during a Thursday press conference that the individual attempted to ignite the fuel after crashing the vehicle, but was interrupted before the fire could be set. The suspect remains at large.

“We want to emphasize that this was a serious criminal act,” Basterrechea said, noting that the theft and destruction of an emergency vehicle temporarily removed a critical medical resource from the community and created additional risk for responding personnel.

The ambulance was taken from St. Luke’s Hospital and driven into a building owned by St. Luke’s Health System. The facility leases office space to the Department of Homeland Security, and that lease arrangement has drawn public criticism in recent months.

Basterrechea pointed to heated rhetoric surrounding the department’s presence at the location, warning against minimizing property destruction. “Property damage isn’t violence is absolutely false,” he said. “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 incident occurs as federal immigration enforcement agencies report a sharp increase in threats and assaults while carrying out President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda. A DHS spokeswoman recently cited a 1,300 percent increase in assaults against officers, a 3,200 percent rise in vehicular attacks, and an 8,000 percent surge in death threats, attributing the escalation to political rhetoric and sanctuary policies.

Federal officials have stated that individuals who target law enforcement officers will face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.

The suspect is still at large, according to police.