‘Bee lady’ nabbed in Tennessee 2 days after going on the lam when she skipped her own trial

Two days after she was a no-show for her own trial, alleged bee assailant Rebecca “Rorie” Woods was apprehended at a hotel in Tennessee Thursday evening, according to a spokesperson for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department.

After hours of waiting for her to appear in Springfield District Court on Tuesday, a judge issued an arrest warrant the same day.

The warrant was the result of her failure to appear for trial on multiple charges stemming from an October 2022 incident in Longmeadow, when members of law enforcement said she ambushed with live beehives while they were executing an eviction.

On Oct. 12, 2022, Woods arrived in a vehicle hauling the beehives, removed the lids and agitated the bees — causing them to swarm and sting deputies and bystanders, authorities said. Some of those stung were allergic, and one Sheriff’s Office employee was hospitalized. Wearing a beekeeper suit, she is accused of bringing another hive toward the home before being taken into custody.

Woods faces four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of disorderly conduct. Following her arraignment in Tennessee, extradition proceedings will begin to return her to Massachusetts to face trial.

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