Naked Woman Reportedly Drives Car Into School, Then Barricades Herself in Classroom

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A naked Whatcom County woman reportedly drove her car through the main entrance of Meridian High School, barricaded herself in a classroom and vandalized it and then threatened sheriff's deputies before surrendering after nearly an hour of negotiations Thursday morning.

She reportedly caused more than $100,000 damage to the school just three weeks before the Sept. 2 start of school.

All activities at the Meridian High campus have been canceled and no access is permitted into the buildings due to the incident, according to a post on the Meridian School District website.

"This dangerous and rapidly evolving situation was safely resolved by our deputies utilizing their training and resources to de-escalate the involved subject and gain her cooperation," Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Undersheriff Doug Chadwick said in a news release. "Through the use of time, distance, and highly trained crisis negotiators, they were able to safely take the subject into custody. While there was significant property damage, we are thankful that there were no serious injuries to Ms. Hanson or any other persons on scene.

"Our thoughts are with the Meridian community as they rebuild and prepare for the upcoming school year."

Anna Marie Hanson, 20, was booked Aug. 12 into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief and first-degree burglary.

At approximately 6:55 a.m. Thursday, What-Comm 911 received a call for a wellness check in the 6800 block of Braker Way in Lynden, according to the release, after Hanson had driven away from a family member's house without clothing.



Approximately 20 minutes later, deputies at the sheriff's office's Laurel Substation near the high school hear a loud crash after Hanson had apparently driven her car through the front double doors of the school on the west side of the building, according to the release.

The car continued approximately 75 to 100 feet through the building, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Chief Jason Van der Veen estimated, before it crashed into a wall at the opposite side and stopped.

After exiting her car, Hanson forced her way into an upstairs classroom, according to the release, and deputies found her, still naked, barricaded inside the classroom and vandalizing it, using an over-sized mallet to break interior and exterior windows.

Hanson refused to come out and threatened to kill herself and deputies, the release states, but after an hour of negotiations with sheriff's office crisis negotiators, she agreed to surrender peacefully.

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue crews examined her and determined she had minor cuts from broken glass, according to the release. No other injuries were reported at the scene, Van der Veen told The Bellingham Herald.