HADLEY, Mass. (WWLP) – A woman accused of orchestrating a bee attack against Hampden County sheriff’s deputies during an eviction in 2022 was apprehended in Kingsport, Tennessee, on Thursday night.

Rorie Susan Woods, who also goes by Rebecca Woods, and is 57 years old from Hadley, Mass., was arrested at a hotel in Kingsport. This arrest followed her failure to attend a scheduled court trial in Massachusetts earlier this week, as reported by the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.

According to the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, the incident took place on October 12, 2022, at approximately 9:15 a.m. Woods arrived at an ongoing eviction scene in Longmeadow in a blue Nissan Xterra. She left her dog inside the vehicle and proceeded directly to the beehives that were being transported by her SUV with the intent to release the bees.

When a sheriff’s deputy attempted to intervene, Woods provoked the bees, causing them to become agitated and start swarming the area. Woods then violently opened a hive, causing the bees to become extremely aggressive. Multiple officers, some of whom had allergies, and spectators nearby were stung. One officer required hospitalization due to bee stings.

Subsequently, Woods donned a beekeeper suit for protection and transported a tower of bees to the front of the house, attempting to thwart the eviction, which had been repeatedly postponed over the past two years. At the house’s entrance, she purportedly sought to further provoke the bees, leading to her arrest by deputies and her booking at the Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Facility.

Woods was set to report for trial on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Springfield District Court; however, she failed to appear.

“The defendant neglected to appear for her trial as mandated by the court. As a result, a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Although she is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, the charges against her are quite serious, and we are prepared to present the evidence showing she endangered numerous Sheriff’s Department employees who were only carrying out their duties. She might have stalled justice temporarily, but it will ultimately be served.”

Hampden District Attorney’s Office

She faces five counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of disorderly conduct.

The Kingsport Police Department confirmed on Monday that Woods was taken into custody on Thursday in the Model City and charged with “Fugitive from Justice for Crime in Another State.” – T.C.A. 40-9-103.

Woods’, who is representing herself in court, absence led a judge to issue a non-bailable warrant. Following her arraignment in Kingsport, extradition proceedings will begin to return her to Massachusetts to face trial.