Woman jailed after crashing her vehicle into a South Florida federal courthouse, police say

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A woman intentionally crashed her vehicle through the front entrance of a South Florida federal courthouse building after regular hours Wednesday, causing about $200,000 in damage, authorities said.

Investigators determined the 55-year-old woman drove into the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in West Palm Beach around 11 p.m. Wednesday, police said in a news release Thursday. The damage included the building’s front doors, security equipment and interior furnishings. No injuries were reported.

The woman fled the scene but was arrested a short time later, police said. Investigators didn’t immediately say why the woman crashed her vehicle into the building.

The woman was charged with one count of felony criminal mischief. She was being held on $5,000 bail. Jail records didn’t list an attorney for her.

“We take incidents of this nature very seriously. Acts of violence and property destruction will not be tolerated, and those responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Araujo said in a statement.