BLACKFOOT — Attempted murder charges have been taken off the table for the manager of a Blackfoot Hotel.

During a preliminary hearing Thursday, Shawn Petersen, 50, appeared before Magistrate Judge James Barrett. He was originally charged with attempted second-degree murder for trying to coerce the victim into killing his brother. He also faced charges of felony assault with intent to murder, grand theft, possession of marijuana, aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery.

After hearing testimony from witnesses Thursday, the attempted murder charge was dropped and the felony assault charge with intent to murder was amended to felony aggravated assault.

Prosecutors also added an additional charge of unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Bingham County Prosecutor Paul Rogers.

Detectives reports indicate that on June 11, Petersen and at least two other men, Shawn A. Cochran, 30, and Corey J. Hall, 45, attacked a man at the Y Motel while reportedly threatening him if he did not kill his own brother. Petersen believed the victim’s brother had spread rumors about him being a drug dealer.

RELATED | Motel manager charged after allegedly threatening man with his life to kill brother

“Shawn (Petersen) stated specifically that he would kill (the victim), place him in a tub of acid, cut out his organs and sell his organs on the black market for thousands of dollars,” court documents read.

The three men are accused of beating the victim, causing a 3-inch gash and swelling over his eye that sent him to Bingham Memorial Hospital.

During a search warrant of the motel, police discovered a large red duffel bag holding almost 2 pounds of marijuana and an ATV stolen from Aberdeen.

Cochran is charged with felony second-degree kidnapping, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Hall is charged with felony second-degree kidnapping and aggravated assault.

A district court arraignment for Petersen is scheduled for July 20 where he will enter a plea.

A judge ordered Cochran to undergo a competency evaluation and Hall has a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 2.

BOISE — A Boise man has been charged for allegedly vandalizing the replica of the Liberty Bell that sits on the Statehouse steps.

Tim Jay Jones, 64, is accused of scratching an expletive into the heavy metal bell over the weekend. He is charged with misdemeanor malicious injury to property.

The damage to the bell was reported Saturday evening. Idaho State Police have been investigating the incident and issued Jones a summons at his home Thursday afternoon.

“Investigating troopers say citizens’ tips were very helpful in not only furthering the investigation but also in immediately reporting the crime that allowed state workers to quickly repair the damage done,” an Idaho State Police news release says.

Jones will be scheduled to appear in court on the charge at a later date.

REXBURG — A convicted felon formally living in Sugar City will spend time in prison after a teen claimed he sexually abused her between 60 to 85 times over two years.

On Monday, District Judge Steven Boyce ordered James D. Hill, 31, to spend a maximum of 13 and a-half-years in prison after Hill pleaded guilty to felony aggravated battery and felony injury to a child. Prosecutors originally charged Hill with one count of felony child sex abuse by soliciting a minor under 16 and a felony count of lewd conduct with a child, but they were amended as part of an Alford plea agreement.

An Alford plea is a guilty plea where a defendant continues to assert their innocence but admits a jury would likely find them guilty with the evidence presented.

“Mr. Hill maintains that he did not commit the crimes he was charged with and that he is innocent of wrongdoing in this matter,” defense attorney Sean Bartholick said in a statement to EastIdahoNews.com.

RELATED | Man accused of sexually abusing teen 60-85 times over 2 years

Court documents describe in graphic detail the victim’s accounting of the sexual abuse, which allegedly began in 2014 when the victim was 14 years old, and she was babysitting for Hill. The victim told investigators Hill raped her on a farm and other locations in Madison County.

RELATED | Man accused of sexually abusing teen over two years takes Alford plea

At one point, she told detectives Hill “wanted to take her to town and have her get some birth control,” according to court documents.

The victim said the sexual abuse from Hill stopped when the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare was called to Hill’s home for a dirty house complaint, and the children the victim was babysitting were removed from the home.

Hill is required to serve at least six and a half years of the maximum sentence.

IDAHO FALLS — Police say an Idaho Falls man sexually abused a 14-year-old boy who he met at a local skatepark.

Braxton Michael Combs, 20, is charged with felony sex abuse of a child under 16. According to an affidavit of probable cause, witnesses said a year ago that the victim told them he had sex with Combs. The victim did not disclose any sexual contact to the police.

Under Idaho law, a minor cannot legally consent to sex with an adult, making the allegation against Combs a crime.

The Idaho Falls Police Department learned about the alleged abuse on June 5, 2019, when the victim arrived at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center after overdosing on Xanax. A woman who brought the boy to the hospital said the victim had sex with Combs on June 4, 2019, according to court documents.

Another witness told police she saw Combs and the victim alone together at a room in a house. The witness told officers when the victim came out, she asked what they were doing. He replied that he and Combs had sex. She also claimed to see two kissing.

Combs spoke with detectives and said he met the victim at the Idaho Falls skatepark. He said the two would hang out near Monroc, go swimming, and kissed twice.

When investigators spoke with the victim, he claimed to know Combs and would hang out with him but denied any sexual contact, the probable cause reads.

Bonneville County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Dewey explained to EastIdahoNews.com investigators worked over the last year to speak to the parties involved and the victim’s custodial parents to see how to proceed. As soon as the prosecutor’s office received a signed affidavit from detectives this month they filed the charge.

Combs was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on Friday. Court records indicate he posted the $60,000 bond for his release.

A preliminary hearing for Combs is scheduled for July 1.

IDAHO FALLS — A local man has been arrested for felony aggravated assault following a knife fight on June 19.

Police reports show at 12:40 p.m. Idaho Falls police officers responded to 500 S Utah Avenue for a report of two males fighting behind the building. The 911 caller said a
man with a knife was threatening another man who was holding a beer bottle, according to a police news release.

When the officer arrived, he located one man running behind a semi-trailer.

That man was directed to stop and stay where he was. The second man, who was determined to have been wielding the knife, attempted to hide and then run from the officer but he was located and taken into custody at taser point. Police spokeswoman Jessica Clements says the taser was not deployed.

That man was identified as 42-year-old Ulises Rangel.

After interviewing the two men and viewing video from a bystander, officers were able to determine that the two men had been in a verbal argument. Apparently, Rangel then began charging towards the other man with the knife in hand. This happened several times prior to police arriving. When officers arrived on scene the men fled.

Officers located a jacket belonging to Ulises a short distance away from where he was stopped by the first officer. Officers found two knives in the jacket, including one matching the description given by the victim of the knife used in the altercation.

Rangel was booked into the Bonneville County Jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

CHUBBUCK — A couple of furry friends are missing after they were stolen during a burglary at a local animal store.

Chubbuck Police Department received a report of the theft at the Mckees Pet, Garden, and Feed Center, located at 130 Evans Lane in Chubbuck, at around 8 a.m. Friday. Sgt. Shane Manning said police believe the incident occurred at about 1 a.m. that morning.

Two Pomeranian puppies, a green Iguana and a Suzcata Tortoise were taken, and they are still missing, according to a Chubbuck news release.

Along with the stolen animals, some fences and the roof of the property were damaged, Manning said.

At the moment, Manning said police don’t yet have a description of the suspect or suspects involved in the burglary.

Anyone with any information regarding the theft or location of any of the animals is asked to contact the Chubbuck Police Department at (208) 237-7172.

IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man was arrested for felony grand theft Monday after police say they found him spray-painting a stolen vehicle.

Police reports show Idaho Falls police officers were called to the 1400 block of West Broadway to investigate a suspicious person. A caller had told dispatchers a man was reportedly spray-painting a vehicle in a back parking lot, according to a police news release.

When officers located the man, later identified as 21-year-old Iziah Gonzalez, he was actively spray-painting a red Toyota Corolla black. The officer explained why he was there, and Gonzalez told the officer he had recently purchased the vehicle.

The officer ran the vehicles VIN through dispatch who reported the vehicle had been reported stolen a week earlier.

After being read his Miranda Rights, police say Gonzalez admitted he had stolen the vehicle the week prior.

He was booked into the Bonneville County Jail with a $15,000 bail.

Gonzalez will appear in court for a preliminary hearing on July 7.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department.

IDAHO FALLS – On June 22, at approximately 11:40 a.m., Idaho Falls Police Officers were called to
Fox Hollow Elementary School for a report that a 2-year-old had been found alone in the playground. The caller reported that a small child had been playing on the playground for over an hour unattended. The caller remained in the area watching the child for a time assuming parents would arrive shortly. The caller also attempted to find the child’s parents, knocking on several doors in the area, but was unsuccessful and ultimately called Idaho Falls/Bonneville County Dispatch.

Idaho Falls Police Officers responded. While the child was unable to clearly communicate because of his young age, he climbed in a battery-operated toy car and began driving it in the direction of a residence. Officers followed the child after he indicated to them that he was going home.

Officers knocked on the front door of the residence that the child led them too, but no one answered the door. There were several indicators on the property that indicated this was the child’s home. The child led officers to the backyard where officers found a sliding door open. There was also a child’s swimming pool filled with enough water to create a drowning hazard for the unattended child.

Officers became concerned that the child’s parents may be injured or deceased and entered the residence. Officers announced themselves several times but received no response. As officers went further into the residence, a person outside the residence called out that a man had climbed out a window and was running away. Officers gave chase and were able to apprehend the male running through nearby fields. A short time after successfully catching and detaining the man, officers determined that the name initially given for him was false. He was successfully identified as the woman’s spouse and the child’s father and was found in possession of .45 grams of heroin.

At the same time, officers inside the residence located a woman who was the child’s mother. Officers questioned both individuals about their child’s whereabouts. Neither could account for how long or why the child had been left unattended. The woman appeared to be very confused and under the influence of something.

While inside the residence, officers observed several items of drug paraphernalia including several used syringes on nightstands and tables within reach of the child.

The child was placed in imminent danger and was removed from the home.

The woman, Lauren Florea, a 28-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for felony injury to a child, and frequenting a place where controlled substances are used, manufactured, cultivated, held or delivered.

The man, Domenique Florea, a 39-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for felony injury to a child, resisting or obstructing, possession of a controlled substance, providing false information to an officer, and an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.

Both individuals were taken to the Bonneville County Jail.

Wyoming (Billings Gazette) — A Wyoming man was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple felonies committed in a single night in 2018 that included stealing five cars, threatening several people at gunpoint and leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase in and out of Billings.

District Judge Matthew Wald sentenced 42-year-old Ryan Glenn McElmury to 40 years in Montana State Prison, with 15 suspended after hearing testimony from detectives, McElmury’s parents and those who he robbed during his flight from law enforcement.

“Some of the problems that Mr. McElmury has are treatable, if he wants to deal with that…I do see an individual that is more than what he did that night,” Wald said before issuing the sentence.

McElmury’s breaking into a home, drawing shots from police into a house where a family slept and carjacking a district judicial candidate, all contributed to Wald’s decision.

“No one should have to go through what Mr. McElmury put them through that night,” he said.

McElmury was booked into Yellowstone County Detention Facility on September 25, 2018, after an hour-long chase that involved the Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County deputies and the Montana Highway Patrol. It began with a robbery in which an armed McElmury broke into Performance Auto off Laurel Road, according to the testimony from Billings Police Det. John Tate.

After leaving on foot, he shot out a window of a nearby business and stole a Ford pickup that still had the keys inside the cab. With officers in pursuit, McElmury drove the Ford south. While driving on Simpson Street, he veered toward a police cruiser. The officer left the vehicle and fired several shots that hit the Ford on its driver’s side, Tate said.

McElmury then drove to New Day juvenile facility, where he smashed a window, left the building and then crashed the Ford into a tree. He broke into a nearby home and demanded the keys to a car at gunpoint from a resident. He took the stolen vehicle south on Shiloh Road, driving in the wrong lane, until he brought it to a stop in front of the third vehicle that he would steal, the second at gunpoint.

Yellowstone County District Judge Colette Davies, then campaigning for the position, was driving that third vehicle. Davies, who initially declined to testify in court on the grounds that it could compromise McElmury’s right to a fair trial, said his actions made it clear that he did not wish her any physical harm.

She said he threw her purse out the window before leaving the scene. He also discarded the money left in her daughter’s soccer bag, only taking a jersey and a bottle of water. Although the experience did not leave her with any lingering trauma, Davies said, she did agonize over the safety of her family.

Davies also said footage that she saw later in the investigation would show a different perspective of the carjacking. As she lay on the ground after exiting her SUV, she decided to stand up before McElmury drove off. Several feet behind her, an officer had his weapon drawn and was prepared to fire.

“I don’t know if you know this, but I saved your life,” Davies told McElmury from the witness stand.

Det. Tate, during his testimony, said that all 18 of the city’s officers on patrol were alerted and in pursuit of McElmury by the time he drove Davies’ SUV onto Interstate 90. After rolling over spike strips laid onto the road at the North 27th Street exit, he pulled into a Town Pump and stole a fourth vehicle from a woman who was pumping gas.

While driving on U.S. 87 toward Roundup, he rolled the vehicle. McElmury then went onto a property, where he jumped into the fifth and final vehicle that he would steal that night. It was parked next to a home where a family of four slept. According to testimony from Det. Sgt. Robert Lester with the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, three officers opened fire.

“We thought we were being attacked,” said Constance Heller, who was jolted awake by police fire that night, during her testimony.

Heller said after two calls to police dispatch, she and her husband could do little but console their three-year-old son. She said a van parked nearby blocked a bullet from hitting a glass sliding door. Had it not been there, the bullet would have struck right where she and her family were sleeping.

The Subaru that McElmury stole was integral to the family’s livelihood, Heller said. He drove that Subaru through a horse shed on the Hellers’ property and then into a duck pond that her husband was digging. With the airbags to the vehicle deployed, he surrendered to officers.

Det. Sgt. Lester said the entire investigation consisted of 15 crime scenes throughout Yellowstone County. McElmury faced a total of 10 felony charges, nine of them violent.

“This is the Grand Theft Auto version of Billings, Montana,” Lester said.

Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Jacob Yerger said the sheer scale of crimes committed demanded that McElmury serve an extended period of prison time. McElmury’s criminal history includes a felony conviction in 1997, and several DUIs in Wyoming.

His past also includes one of commitment to his family, which his mother and father testified to in court. Randy McElmury said his oldest son played the role as the head of the family when his two other sons died unexpectedly. Beth McElmury said he was always an active member of the church, and he earned a degree in ministry while working full-time as a carpenter.

After suffering an injury on a job site, his mother said that he became dependent on opioids. Although he would stop using opioids, social worker Lisa Hjelmstad said he would rely heavily on alcohol and marijuana for several years.

Prior to hearing his sentence, McElmury said a debt to a person who threatened his family drove him to commit the initial burglary. That did not, however, excuse him for that or any of his actions that followed. Handcuffed, he turned to face each of the witnesses who testified on the stand Friday and apologized.

Judge Wald recommended counseling for chemical dependence and individual therapy be made available for McElmury. As part of his sentencing, McElmury will also pay nearly $35,500 in restitution and will have to register as a violent offender.

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IDAHO FALLS — Prosecutors have now charged an Idaho Falls woman for hitting a police officer with her car.

On the evening of Jan. 16, a gas leak of “explosive levels” led officials to close part of Broadway Street. An Idaho Falls police officer began directing traffic at the intersection of Saturn Avenue and Broadway when 43-year-old Jessica Ann Morris pulled up in a Jeep Cherokee. She ultimately hit the officer and was then removed out of the car at gunpoint, court documents allege.

Morris is charged with felony assault and battery on a police officer. A charge, if convicted, is punishable by up to five years in prison.

An affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com outlines the moments that led up to Morris being placed into handcuffs and into the back of a patrol car.

With the traffic lights still functioning but the road closed, the officer directed traffic on Broadway to turn onto Saturn Avenue. Morris driving westbound attempted to drive the Jeep through cones set up to close lanes. At this moment, the officer was directing eastbound traffic to turn left onto Saturn.

The officer then turned towards Morris and asked her what she was doing, the officer wrote in his report. Morris then started yelling the light was Green and she wanted to keep driving west on Broadway. The officer then tried to tell Morris she could not drive that way and to turn left.

“F— you,” Morris yelled according to court documents. “I’m leaving. I’m going now.”

Morris then hit the gas, and hit the officer in the thigh and hip, making him bend slightly over the hood of the Jeep. In his report, the officer says that prompted him to activate his body-worn camera.

EastIdahoNews.com then captured the moments after when the officer drew his gun and demanded Morris step out of the Jeep. She is seen opening her door, turning around and placing her hands on her head as ordered by police.

The officer then holstered his gun, moves towards Morris, and placed her into handcuffs. He then walked her over to the back of his police car.

“You tried to run me over,” the officer says to Morris. “That’s not excusable.”

The woman continually tries to apologize to the officer, who then repeats what happened and says she can not do that.

“I’m sorry, I’m terrified,” Morris responds. “I have mental disabilities … I’m deaf. I’m sorry.”

The officer said she is not deaf and reminds her that he told her to turn left, which she refused to obey.

“I didn’t hear you say turn left,” Morris is heard saying.

She is then placed into the back of the officer’s car where she reportedly began having a panic attack. Idaho Falls firefighters, who were just down the road, rushed over to check her out. The officer removed the handcuffs in an attempt to defuse the situation.

During the incident, a passenger in Morris’ Jeep handed the officer a phone with Morris’ husband on the line. The officer explained the situation and why she is detained.

“I hope your body cams are working cause I’m suing you guys,” the husband said, according to court documents.

Police reports indicate Morris was then issued a misdemeanor citation for failure to obey a traffic direction and released.

The officer was not seriously injured in the incident.

On June 4, the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the case and filed the felony charge. A summons was issued for her to appear in court on June 19 and she was not arrested.

A preliminary hearing for Morris is scheduled for July 15 at the Bonneville County Courthouse.

The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office for the District of Idaho.

BOISE – Bryan Lee Thieme, 39, of Twin Falls, was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced Thursday. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also imposed lifetime supervised release to follow Thieme’s prison sentence. Thieme pleaded guilty to the charge on August 21, 2019.

According to court records, on May 19, 2018, the Twin Falls Police Department responded to Thieme’s residence to investigate reports that minors were consuming alcohol at the residence. During the investigation, officers received information from minors at that location that Thieme had taken nude images of minors with his cellphone. Officers also learned Thieme was a registered sex offender on federal supervised release for a conviction of possession of matters of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, entered in the Southern District of California in 2015.

The United States Probation Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an investigation into Thieme’s activities at his residence. They discovered Thieme had recently re-set his cell phone to the factory setting, erasing all of its contents. Twin Falls police officers obtained a search warrant for the contents of Thieme’s Google account. As a result, HSI agents discovered nude images of minors and two videos taken by Thieme with his cell phone, at his residence, on April 23, 2018, that depicted a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an adult.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Probation Office, and Twin Falls Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, click here.

Click here for more information about internet safety education, and click on the tab “resources.”

IDAHO FALLS — A man who police say admitted to sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy and filming the act is now charged in federal court.

In January, Richard Dutton, 51, was charged in Bonneville County with two felony counts of lewd conduct with a child and a felony count of sexual exploitation of a child. Prosecutors dropped those charges last week because as of June 5, federal prosecutors charged him with sexual exploitation of a child.

The charges in federal court hold a minimum of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Dutton could also be ordered to spend up to a $250,000 fine.

The investigation into Dutton began on Jan. 7 when two children disclosed that Dutton, a former neighbor and babysitter, sexually abused them. The 13-year-old boy reported that Dutton sexually abused him over the past six to seven years and took photos during the abuse.

RELATED | Idaho Falls man arrested for lewd conduct, sexual exploitation of two children

A 10-year-old girl also said she had been sexually abused by Dutton for the previous two years. Both reported the abuse stopped in December, according to police reports.

The Idaho Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit searched Dutton’s home and electronics and found child pornography on his phone. When officers spoke with Dutton, he admitted to sexually abusing the boy and taking photos of the sex acts.

Days after initiating the investigation, IFPD passed on the information to an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security. Special Agents with the department determined one photo to be that of a prepubescent boy between the ages of eight and nine.

According to court documents, Dutton told investigators he took the photos because he wanted to become sexually aroused. He reportedly used the image as the lock screen on his phone.

If convicted, a federal judge could also order Dutton to spend five years to life on supervised release after serving the prison sentence.

Dutton is now being held in the Bannock County Jail awaiting a federal jury trial that has not been scheduled.

BLACKFOOT — A local man is charged with manslaughter following a bar fight Saturday morning.

The Blackfoot Police Department says officers arrested Eddy C. Stone, 26, on Sunday afternoon after Frank Haddon, 41, died from injuries sustained in a bar fight with Stone.

When first responders arrived at the bar, they found Haddon with life-threatening injuries. They flew him by medical helicopter to the University of Utah Hospital, where Haddon died.

The incident remains under investigation by the Blackfoot Police Department and Bingham County Sheriff’s Office Joint Investigation Division.

Stone is being held in the Bingham County Jail on $175,000 bail awaiting an initial appearance Monday.

EastIdahoNews.com will provide updates as they become available.

POCATELLO — The Pocatello Police Department asks for the public’s help in identifying a man accused of assaulting a woman outside Winco Thursday.

The department posted information Monday on its Facebook page saying the man in the photo above approached a woman walking in a crosswalk. He allegedly grabbed the woman’s shoulder, rubbed her arm and pressed his body against hers.

The woman told officers she does not know the man and quickly walked away.

Police say the man arrived at Winco in a beige or cream-colored four-door Cadillac.

The department asks anyone who may know the man or had similar encounters to call the department at (208) 234-6121 in reference to case #20-P11979.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Department on Monday.

IDAHO FALLS – On June 24 at approximately 9 a.m., Idaho Falls Police officers were dispatched to a residence on Three Fountains Drive for a report of a disturbance. According to callers, a man and a woman had been involved in a verbal argument when the man had pointed a gun at the woman before leaving the residence.

Officers responded and spoke to a witness and the victim and learned that the victim and her adult son, Nicholas Milloway, had had a verbal disagreement. During the disagreement, the victim stated that she felt Milloway became aggressive toward her. She left the residence to ask for help from a neighbor to defuse the situation. Milloway followed her, threatening her with the firearm before leaving in a Silver Pontiac Fiero with another male, Aspen Gosswiller, who had been present during the interaction.

Officers began searching for Milloway and searched his place of business, the last known address for Gosswiller and other locations but were unable to locate the two men at those locations. Officers broadcasted an attempt to locate for Milloway, Gosswiller, and the involved vehicle to area law enforcement.

At approximately 10:30 a.m., Idaho Falls Police officers assigned to the IFPD Bike Patrol in city parks were patrolling in the South Tourist Park campground on Yellowstone when they located the suspect vehicle. Additional officers responded to assist and located Nicholas Milloway at a camp trailer at the park with the suspect vehicle outside.

Officers informed Milloway of his Miranda Rights, and he agreed to speak with them. Milloway stated that he had argued with his mother but did not say anything initially about the firearm or the threat. Officers informed Milloway that they had spoken with the victim and a witness. Milloway confirmed that he had threatened the victim, but denied having a firearm at the time. He eventually said that he believed there had been a firearm sitting on the table at the residence, but that it belonged to Gosswiller and that it was probably still at the residence on Three Fountains Drive.

While speaking with Milloway, officers also located Aspen Gosswiller, who had been present during the earlier interaction on Three Fountains Drive and who owned the suspect vehicle.

Officers spoke with Gosswiller and, due to the nature of the call, asked if they could pat him down to ensure he had no weapons on him. While performing the pat down, officers located a syringe and needle in one of his pockets. Gosswiller admitted that their may be methamphetamine in the needle but told officers that the pants he was wearing were not his and he had been unaware there was a needle in his pocket. When asked whose pants they were, Gosswiller named another male present. However, that male was considerably taller than Gosswiller. While the pants appeared to fit Gosswiller, they would not have fit the man Gosswiller indicated was the owner of the pants. Officers explained this to Gosswiller, and he changed his story, stating that he had gotten dressed in a hurry and did not know who the pants belonged to.

Officers also located a magazine for a Kahr 9-6 handgun in Gosswiller’s pocket. Gosswiller stated to officers that he was a convicted felon and that he could not be around firearms. He stated that there were many magazines inside the camp trailer, but no firearms.

Officers contacted the owner of the camp trailer, who confirmed that Gosswiller had been staying there and granted permission for officers to search it. Officers began a search and called for the Idaho Falls Police Department K9 Officer on duty. This K9 is trained in bomb detection and to find items with gunpowder residue.

Officers located a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, the case for a Kahr 9-6 pistol, ammunition for the shotgun and the pistol, as well as 7.5 grams of methamphetamine, 8.3 grams of heroin and drug paraphernalia. Gosswiller admitted that his fingerprints would be on the shotgun when processed by Idaho Falls Police Department Crime Scene Investigators.

The Idaho Falls Police Department K9 searched the camp trailer and located the Kahr 9-6 hidden in the camp trailer. The pistol is silver and black and matched the description given of the pistol used in the earlier disturbance by Nicholas Milloway.

Nicholas Milloway, a 28-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Aspen Gosswiller, a 26-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), drug trafficking in heroin (7 to 28 grams), possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

When Milloway and Gosswiller were told they were under arrest, both men told officers they had swallowed heroin and/or meth as officers were arriving in order to conceal it from officers. Gosswiller also stated that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Officers took both males to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and informed medical staff of the situation. Both Milloway and Gosswiller were evaluated for a jail clearance for their safety, which was granted. It was also determined that Gosswiller had not tested positive for COVID-19, nor did he show any symptoms. Both males were taken to the Bonneville County Jail and booked for their respective offenses.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game.

PRESTON – Jay Reeder, Brandon Porter, Rick and Jesse Earl and Dustin Hollingsworth of Preston, Idaho and Brian Miller of Pennsylvania all reached plea agreements in a Franklin County court for the illegal killing and possession of three mule deer and 16 elk, including several trophy class animals in the fall of 2018 near Preston.

Through an investigation conducted around that time, Fish and Game conservation officers learned that over course of several months, multiple poaching incidents took place on the “Reeder Ranch” and surrounding private property northwest of Preston, with complete disregard for season and weapon restrictions or tagging requirements. The individuals involved left most of the elk carcasses to waste and recovered only the antlers and choice cuts of meat from others.

“It seemed as though they just couldn’t stop killing”, said Idaho Department of Fish and Game Regional Investigator Cody Allen. “Most of the animals were simply shot and left with no attempt to salvage the meat; some with rifles during muzzleloader seasons and others when the seasons were completely closed.”

Reeder and Porter, the most egregious poachers, combined to illegally kill three mule deer bucks and 13 of the 16 elk. Many of the poaching incidents were directed at large groups of elk, and Fish and Game investigators verified the men wounded and crippled other elk with no attempt made to recover the animals.

Fish and Game learned through their investigation that Reeder and Porter not only killed gross over-limits of elk and deer but also sold some of the elk and deer meat and antlers in order to purchase a new rifle. Members of the group also unlawfully killed pheasants, magpies and wild turkeys baited onto the property.

While serving search warrants on the Reeder Ranch for the wildlife violations, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office arrested Reeder and Porter for felony possession of a controlled substance, which was located in the residence during the search. Officers also found Reeder in possession of an unlawfully taken bear he poached in California.

All six men reached plea agreements with the Franklin County Prosecutors office. As part of the agreements, Jay Reeder and Brandon Porter each pleaded guilty to four felonies and received lifetime revocations of their hunting privileges. Both men received suspended two-year prison sentences held at the discretion of the court to impose if the men were found in violation of the conditions of their 20-year felony supervised probation. Both men each spent 30 days in jail.

Rick Earl pleaded guilty to one felony and one misdemeanor for killing two unlawful elk and illegally possessing three other poached elk and deer. He received a two year suspended prison sentence and five years of felony-supervised probation. He served 10 days in jail and received a five-year hunting license revocation. The court ordered Reeder, Porter and Rick Earl to each provide 50 hours of community service, pay a combined $72,050 in fines and civil reimbursement for the unlawfully taken animals, forfeit their guns and animals and prohibited them from possessing any firearms.

The other three men involved – Jesse Earl, Brian Miller, and Dustin Hollingsworth pleaded guilty to misdemeanors for their role in attempting to legitimize the poached elk by possessing the animals and using or facilitating the elk tags of others to cover the unlawfully taken elk. They each received one-year hunting license revocations and combined fines, civil reimbursement and court costs of $3,767.

Regional Investigator Allen, who has worked some large and complex cases throughout his career, found it difficult to summarize the egregious nature and seriousness of the poacher’s actions.

“These men demonstrated a complete disregard for wildlife and wildlife laws and used the seclusion of private property – theirs and trespassing on others – to carry out their desire to kill and poach, stealing animals from legitimate sportsmen and women and leaving most of them to waste”.

The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Police Dept.

IDAHO FALLS – On June 25th, shortly before 1 a.m., Idaho Falls Police Officers responded to the 1100 block of Irving Street after several calls were placed to 911.

Callers reported that they had heard multiple gunshots from the residence in question. A caller closer to the situation reported that a man was intoxicated and shooting a firearm at a home with children present.

Officers arrived on scene and located a witness who told officers that the man was inside the residence with a woman. Officers heard yelling inside the home and gave verbal commands for the man to exit the residence. The man complied and was detained without incident.

Officers spoke with the involved parties and witnesses and were able to determine that the man and two women had been drinking at the residence. The man made a sexual comment to the women and was told he needed to go to bed.

The man returned where the two people were in the backyard with a firearm and fired eight rounds into the air in close proximity to the two women. Two juveniles were inside the residence at the time. The man went back inside the residence and threatened one of the juveniles while holding the firearm. At that point, one of the women wrestled the gun away from the man while the two juveniles ran from the residence.

Officers were able to recover the firearm as well as eight spent shell casings on the ground in the backyard. No serious injuries were reported in connection to this incident.

David Alonso, a 32-year-old Idaho Falls resident, was arrested for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts misdemeanor injury to a child, misdemeanor assault domestic violence, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, discharging a firearm within city limits, and disturbing the peace.

He was taken to the Bonneville County Jail.

ST. ANTHONY — Lori Vallow Daybell will make an initial court appearance on new charges Tuesday afternoon.

Daybell was charged with two felony counts of conspiracy to commit destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence on Monday evening. The charges come about three weeks after investigators searched the home of her husband, Chad Daybell, and discovered the remains of Joshua “JJ” Vallow and Tylee Ryan, her two children.

Rexburg Police served a third search warrant on the Daybell home Monday. Detectives were seen inside the house, exterior buildings and in the backyard with cameras. They left with brown evidence bags.

The initial appearance is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Lori Vallow Daybell and her attorney, Mark Means, will appear remotely from the Madison County Jail. EastIdahoNews.com will live stream the proceedings.

IDAHO FALLS — Police say an Idaho Falls man tried to burn down the same house twice in less than 12 hours Sunday night.

Jeremy L. Baker, 18, was charged with felony first-degree arson after police caught him with a blowtorch in his backpack near the burning house, according to court documents. If convicted of the charge, a judge could order Baker to spend up to 25 years in prison.

The Idaho Falls Fire Department first responded to the 100 Block of West Elva Street just before 8 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters found light smoke coming from the top floor of a boarded-up abandoned house. Firemen extinguished the fire within minutes.

“We searched the home and did not find anybody inside,” the fire department reported late Sunday night on Facebook.

An officer with the Idaho Falls Police Department began patrolling the area due to the fire being suspicious, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by EastIdahoNews.com.

Around 1:45 a.m. Monday, the officer spotted light grey smoke coming from the top windows of the home again. After shining a spotlight in the windows, the officer saw a man, later identified as Baker, darting away.

Police went toward the house and Baker came outside holding a backpack. Inside the bag, investigators found the blowtorch. Baker claimed he used the torch to smoke marijuana wax with his friends.

When asked if he started the fire, Baker said no and was just looking around before seeing the flames himself.

“Like I didn’t even know it was on fire,” Baker said, according to court documents.

Inside the home, investigators said both fires started in the same bedroom and showed a burn pattern of a blowtorch.

Police arrested Baker and booked him into the Bonneville County Jail where he remains held on $25,000 bail. A preliminary hearing for Baker is scheduled for July 10.

Firefighters were kept busy Sunday and Monday as they responded to the Elva Street house twice and then a house on Kearney Street before noon. The Kearney Street house fire remains under investigation.

IRWIN — A Bonneville County Man who shot a gun during an argument was placed on probation after pleading to a reduced charge.

Christopher R. Reynoso, 32, will spend two years on unsupervised probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor exhibition of a deadly weapon. The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office initially arrested Renynoso in March for felony aggravated assault.

RELATED | Local man arrested for aggravated assault after firing gun inside home

At the sentencing, Magistrate Judge Michelle Mallard suspended 87 days of jail time and gave Reynoso credit for the three days he spent in jail.

Deputies reports show that on March 3, Reynoso and a woman got into an argument. At some point, Reynoso fired a gun inside an Irwin home before leaving. He left the gun behind.

Investigators found evidence the gun had been fired and the woman locked herself and a child inside the home’s basement while calling for help.

Reynoso will also have to pay $257.00 in fees and fines.