IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man was arrested for having heroin, police said.

Tyler E. Mulberry, 21, was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance Saturday morning.

Idaho Falls police helped probation and parole officers with a home visit in the 300 block of Moonlite around 8 a.m. During the visit, Mulberry was found to have a syringe, spoon and nearly .5 grams of heroin, according to police spokeswoman Joelyn Hansen.

Mulberry was booked into the Bonneville County Jail. No bond had been set as of Tuesday.

The post Idaho Falls man arrested for heroin appeared first on East Idaho News.

SALMON — Lemhi County Prosecutor Paul Withers isn’t pursuing a single voluntary manslaughter charge against Jedidiah Barton of Boise.

The 29-year-old was facing the charge after deputies say he shot and killed Jordan Stenersen, 32, on Saturday, Feb. 13 in Salmon.

On Tuesday, Feb. 16, Withers asked the court to dismiss the charge without prejudice.

“After further review of the case I decided I needed to dismiss the charges … based on evidence that may be brought forward,” Withers told EastIdahoNews.com.

Withers said at this point he has been unable to review all the forensic evidence and has not seen the autopsy report yet.

“The important part is that it was dismissed without prejudice, which means charges can be refiled if the evidence shows I should,” Withers said.

RELATED CONTENT:

Boise man accused of shooting, killing man in Salmon

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The following is a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office

AMMON — Two adults and a juvenile were arrested for a variety of crimes after a high speed chase on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies came upon a vehicle parked in the road at the intersection of Lincoln and Foothill Road that was occupied by two male adults and three juveniles — a male and 2 females.

Upon making contact the deputy noticed the female occupants partially clothed making statements about wanting to return home and a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. At that time the driver ignored the Deputy’s commands to shut his vehicle off and fled at a high rate of speed.

The deputy attempted to catch the vehicle, but quickly discontinued due to safety concerns.

Other deputies checking the area located the vehicle near the dead end of East 9th South and it again fled at a high rate of speed, leaving the three juvenile teenagers behind in a field. A short time later the vehicle was again located traveling at a high rate of speed near the Bone Road and Sunnyside Road intersection and deputies were able to get the vehicle stopped by deploying spike strips.

The two adult males, Zachary Raymond and Ethan Zimmerman were taken into custody, The juveniles were located back at 9th South. The juveniles were checked by Idaho Falls Ambulance personnel due to exposure and intoxication issues, one of the females and the male juvenile were returned to parents.

The remaining juvenile female was a signed runaway from Idaho Falls and transported to the hospital by ambulance for treatment. She was charged with underage consumption of alcohol and/or drugs.

Raymond was booked into the Bonneville County Jail for felony eluding, possession of marijuana, mushrooms and drug paraphernalia, driving without privileges, and contributing to a minor.

Zimmerman was also booked into the Bonneville County Jail for possession of marijuana, mushrooms, drug paraphernalia, underage consumption of alcohol and/or drugs, and contributing to a minor.

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(CNN) — Cliven Bundy and four others — including his sons Ryan and Ammon, who led the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon — were indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, according to the U.S. attorney for Nevada.

The five face 16 felony charges relating to an armed standoff the Bundys and their supporters had with the federal government in 2014.

Ryan Payne, who participated in the Oregon wildlife occupation, and Peter Santilli were also charged, authorities say.

“Persons who use force and violence against federal law enforcement officers who are enforcing court orders, and nearly causing catastrophic loss of life or injury to others, will be brought to justice,” U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden said.

Cliven Bundy was denied bail on Tuesday after a judge in an Oregon federal court determined that he was a flight risk, said Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. Bundy is scheduled to be back in court Friday.

Last week, Bundy was charged with six counts in that 2014 showdown against federal land managers on the open range where his cattle grazed and fed.

The federal Bureau of Land Management and local authorities backed down in the face-off, halted the roundup of Bundy’s cattle and returned about 300 head to avoid any violence.

Authorities accused Bundy of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, assault on a federal law officer by use of a deadly and dangerous weapon, interference with commerce by extortion and obstruction of justice.

The indictment released on Wednesday said the eldest Bundy was the leader of the movement to extort the federal government into returning his cattle.

“The defendants recruited, organized, and led hundreds of other followers in using armed force against law enforcement officers in order to thwart the seizure and removal of Cliven Bundy’s cattle from federal public lands,” the indictment said. “Bundy had trespassed on the public lands for over 20 years, refusing to obtain the legally-required permits or pay the required fees to keep and graze his cattle on the land.”

Bundy, 69, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

Arrested as he came to aid of sons

Cliven Bundy was arrested last week in Portland, where he flew in support of his sons Ammon and Ryan, who both allegedly participated in another, more recent armed standoff against federal authorities at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge’s headquarters in Harney County, Oregon.

That 41-day standoff ended last week after the last of the holdouts surrendered to authorities.

Ammon Edward Bundy, 40, of Emmett, Idaho, and his brother Ryan C. Bundy, 43, of Bunkerville, Nevada, are among 16 people indicted in the Oregon standoff, and each of the 16 defendants face a federal felony count of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation or threats, the FBI said.

The 16 defendants were described by the FBI as being among “dozens of highly armed militants occupying, visiting and supplying the refuge.”

‘Lawless and violent’

In arguing against bail for Bundy, federal prosecutors portrayed Bundy as “a danger to the community,” according to court documents.

“Bundy is lawless and violent. He does not recognize federal courts — claiming they are illegitimate — does not recognize federal law, refuses to obey federal court orders, has already used force and violence against federal law enforcement officers while they were enforcing federal court orders, nearly causing catastrophic loss of life or injury to others,” federal prosecutors said in court papers filed Tuesday.

Bundy lives on 160 acres as a long-time resident of Bunkerville, Nevada, a sparsely populated area near the borders with Utah and Arizona, court papers said.

The Bundy Ranch is near the Virgin River a few miles from where Interstate Highway 15 crosses into Arizona, or about 90 miles northeast of Las Vegas, authorities said.

Why it took almost two years for charges

In 2014, at the time of his alleged crimes, more than 1,000 head strayed as far as 50 miles from his ranch and into the Lake Mead National Recreational Area, “getting stuck in mud, wandering onto golf courses, straying onto the freeway (causing accidents on occasion),” authorities said in documents.

He allows his cattle to “run wild on the public lands with little, if any, human interaction until such time he traps them and hauls them off to be sold or slaughtered for his own consumption,” prosecutors said.

In his April 2014 confrontation with federal authorities, “Bundy organized and led over 400 followers to assault BLM officers as they guarded the impoundment site, all for the purpose of getting cattle back,” prosecutors said.

“In the immediate aftermath of the April 12 assault, federal law enforcement officers were forced to abandon the impoundment site, precluding them from conducting an immediate investigation,” prosecutors said.

Out of safety concerns, local law officers allowed the gunmen and the conspirators to leave the site without facing arrest.

It took nearly took two years for authorities to finally file charges against Bundy because, prosecutors indicated, “the investigation became purely historical in nature.”

“The presence of many gunmen in and near the area of Bundy Ranch, the armed checkpoints and patrols, the presence of assault weapons in the militia camps, including (by some accounts) a .50 caliber machine gun, further increased the difficulty of conducting a physical investigation of Bundy Ranch or the impoundment site,” prosecutors added.

CNN’s Tina Burnside contributed to this report.

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POCATELLO — Two women were arrested on drug charges during a traffic stop in Pocatello on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

Samantha Culbertson, 26, of Pocatello, was pulled over by officers, who recognized her from past drug and traffic violations, Pocatello Police spokeswoman Dianne Brush said.

“A police officer observed Culbertson driving a vehicle south on Yellowstone Avenue,” Bush told EastIdahoNews.com. “The officer was familiar with Culbertson and was aware that Culbertson had a suspended license.”

Police pulled Culbertson over and arrested her for driving on an invalid license. They searched the vehicle and found Culbertson and her passenger had heroin and drug paraphernalia.

Culbertson and the passenger, Lydia Hernandez, 26, of Pocatello, were transported to Bannock County Detention Center.

Culbertson is facing three felony drug trafficking charges. She was also charged with felony introducing major contraband into a correctional facility. Authorities did not reveal details on that charge. Additionally, she was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and having an invalid license, both misdemeanors, and failure to provide proof of vehicle insurance, an infraction. She was being held on a $70,000 bond Thursday.

Hernandez was charged with two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance, and misdemeanor providing a false identity to a law enforcement officer. She was being held on a $40,000 bond. She was also being held on a probation violation warrant.

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IDAHO FALLS — An Idaho Falls man has been sentenced to a minimum of six years in prison for embezzling more than $1.7 million from a local potato packing shed and shipping company. He could serve up to 28 years.

Bingham County Prosecutor Cleve Colson announced Saturday, Feb. 20, that Russell Clark Leonardson has been sentenced on two counts of grand theft by embezzlement by District Judge Bruce Pickett.

Leonardson was found guilty of the first grand theft charge for embezzling $779,130.06 from Idaho Select Inc. between July 2007 and June 2014, according to a news release. The Secretary of State’s Office shows Idaho Select is a potato packing facility with an Aberdeen address.

Leonardson was listed as the general manager of the facility on state documents filed by the business in 1996.

Leonardson was found guilty of the second grand theft charge for embezzling $817,779.81 from Select Express LLC between June 2005 and September 2014. Select Express is a freight and shipping company registered in Aberdeen.

Various state documents list Leonardson as a part-owner, manager or vice president of the company.

The sentences are consecutive, which means Leonardson is facing six years fixed, and 22 years indeterminate. He was also given 28 years probation and is required to pay $1.7 million in restitution or face the full 28 years in prison.

As a condition of his probation, Leonardson must also serve 200 hours of community service.

EastIdahoNews.com will have a more in-depth report on this case early next week.

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(CNN) — Police have arrested Jason Brian Dalton in connection with three shooting incidents that killed six people and injured two more in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, prosecutor Jeff Getting said Sunday.

“This is just the most awful thing I can think of,” Getting said at a press conference held to announce the arrest of Dalton, 45, and to reassure the community that there is no longer a threat.

“There was only one shooter,” he said. “And that person is in custody.”

Rampage lasted more than 6 hours

According to police, the first shooting took place around 6 p.m., when a woman was shot four times in an apartment complex parking lot. Getting said the woman — who was with her three children — is in serious condition, but expected to survive.

Then, four hours later, two men — an 18-year-old and an older male — were shot and killed at a Kia dealership. Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley said the pair were there looking at a vehicle. Getting, who would not identify any of the victims, would not confirm reports that it was a father and son.

Ten minutes after that, at around 10:10, police say Dalton fired on two vehicles in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant, killing four adult women and “gravely” injuring a 14-year-old girl. Getting said authorities initially thought the teen was dead. “Call it a miracle,” he said. “But she’s alive now.”

The prosecutor said the Cracker Barrel victims were together in a single group.

After another two hours or so, at approximately 12:30 a.m., police took Dalton into custody, ending a six-hour nightmare that brought Kalamazoo to its knees.

Police seized a semiautomatic handgun from Dalton, whom Getting described as “even-tempered” at the time of his arrest.

“There is just no question more people would have died if (police) didn’t find him when they did,” Getting said.

No motive known

The cruel randomness of the rampage seemed to rattle officials in the western Michigan city.

“This is your worst nightmare,” Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas told CNN affiliate WOOD-TV. “When you have somebody just driving around randomly killing people.”

Getting appeared to struggle at times for the right words, if there were any, at Sunday’s press conference.

“There is this sense of loss, anger, (and) fear,” he said. ” On top of that, how do you tell the families of these victims that they were not targeted for any other reason than they were a target?”

Getting said police don’t yet know a motive, but authorities are confident that Dalton acted alone, and that there is no connection to terrorism. Formal charges will be brought Monday, he said.

“I would expect six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, six counts of felony firearm, and then we’ll see from there.”

‘Typical American family’

Neighbor Sally Pardo told CNN that Dalton is married with two children, and that they seemed to be a “typical American family,”

“This seems so out of sorts for him,” added Gary Pardo, her husband.

The Pardos, who have lived across the street from Dalton’s single-family home for 10 years, said that Dalton was quiet and liked to work on cars.

“I know he liked guns,” Gary Pardo said.

Getting said he didn’t know if Dalton had a license for the handgun that was seized at the time of his arrest.

A Kalamazoo Police crime lab van was parked outside Dalton’s home Sunday morning. A CNN crew saw at least 10 boxes being removed from the house and loaded into the van.

CNN’s Ryan Young and Brad Parks reported from Kalamazoo; CNN’s Kevin Conlon and Joshua Berlinger wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

The post 6 dead in Kalamazoo shooting rampage; suspect in custody appeared first on East Idaho News.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A Salt Lake City bar that refused service to two Polynesian men did so against state law according to University of Utah Law professor Clifford Rosky.

“That is absolutely illegal.”

Two Polynesian men were asked to leave Willie’s Lounge Tuesday night. Two days later and the backlash continues. Willie’s Lounge is not only accused of racial profiling, but admits it happened.

RELATED | Salt Lake bar refuses to serve Polynesian men

Bar owner Geremy Cloyd says a mistake was made in asking the men to leave, but if another group of Polynesian men came to the bar who were “unknown” they too will be asked to leave.

Utah’s ACLU has come out in support of the two men who were denied service simply because of their ethnic backgrounds and are helping with a demonstration in front of the bar this weekend. The community is rallying around the men who were forced to leave and want to make a statement that is loud and clear.

On Saturday a group plans to gather near the bar and do the Haka, an ancestral war cry of the Maori people.

Meanwhile, University of Utah law professor Clifford Rosky says a law was broken. “It is clearly illegal for any business in the State of Utah to discriminate based on race, religion, sex, ancestry or national origin.”

Cloyd , the owner of the bar, apologized and yet it seems racial profiling will continue as a part of his business practice. Wednesday night he said people in some categories are not welcome and especially in groups.

“Polynesian, just got out of jail, have neck tattoos, look like they are hooked on drugs, and across all spectrums — not just Polynesians. It just so happens our problem has been with Polynesians.”

Cloyd says he’s had a problem with Polynesians fighting in his bar and that’s where his policy comes from.

Clifford Rofsky who teaches law says “you can’t profile people based on their race and whether or not they are likely to start a fight. Why is the name Polynesian even being said?”

If it is, there is reason to believe the bar is racially profiling and acting against state law.

Frank Maea, who was kicked out of Willies Lounge, said he’d “never been treated like that, never.” He posted a video at the bar talking about what happened, it has been shared and viewed tens of thousands of times. The video has started a conversation where Utah’s Polynesian community is talking about the sting of racism as a part of life in Utah.

“There are a lot of people with pent-up frustration and aggression and we don’t want that to turn into something violent” says Mike Tuiasoa who is organizing a demonstration this weekend.

Tuiasoa understands the anger but wants to direct frustrations into a positive movement. He has a coffee house a block from Willie’s bar on State Street and wants to gather there this weekend.

“I don’t want anyone to lose their jobs or businesses shut down, I just want there to be more of an understanding, I think Polynesians get a bad rap.”

Hundreds plan to gather Saturday at the Watch Tower, a coffee shop at 1588 S., State street. From there, the group will head to Wilkie’s bar to do the ancestral war dance.

“It won’t be violent and it won’t be aggressive, but it will be fierce.”

Willie’s cancelled a planned DJ Wednesday amid the controversy. Thursday, the bar pulled the explanation it posted about the event on its Facebook page. Shortly after, the entire Facebook page was deleted, likely because of all the negative comments and reviews pouring in.

Rosky thinks there may be more to the page being deleted saying “it is clear the bar understand this is illegal.”

The Utah Attorney General’s Office would be the investigative body if an investigation into the events occurs. Today the AG’s office said they cannot comment on an investigation and whether or not it is even happening, until the investigation is complete.

Online there have been calls for the DABC to pull the bar’s liquor license. Today, the DABC said they can only act if there is a filing with a local police department. At this point it does not appear the men involved are going down the route.

As for Utah State Law, there is still a loophole for businesses to deny service. The only group not protected by law are gay or transgender members of the community. They can still legally be turned away for any business, based solely on their sexual orientation.

A law passed by the Utah Legislature, last year, protected the LGBT community but only when searching for housing or a job.

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(CNN) — Jason Brian Dalton’s life was so innocuous, police had never heard of him. Neighbors said he was a “real nice guy.” By all accounts, the 45-year-old seemed harmless.

That changed over the weekend when, police said, Dalton went on a shooting spree in Michigan that left six people dead.

A seventh victim was shot in front of her children, and a 14-year-old girl remains in critical condition.

Even police are baffled as to why Dalton may have committed such violence Saturday night.

“This guy was not on anybody’s radar for any reason,” Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Jeff Hadley said. “He didn’t have a lengthy criminal history. He wasn’t a known troublemaker. And yet here he is, having shot eight people and killed six.”

For almost seven hours, police say, Dalton drove around Kalamazoo County, stopping to shoot people at an apartment complex, a car dealership and restaurant parking lot.

And between the shootings, Dalton picked up and dropped off passengers for Uber, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.

A bizarre Uber ride

Matt Mellen said he rode in Dalton’s car shortly before the rampage started.

“We got about a mile from my house, and he got a telephone call,” Mellen told CNN affiliate WWMT.

“After that call, he started driving erratically, running stop signs. We were kind of driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along, and then finally, once he came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away.”

Mellen said he called police. “He was surprisingly calm. I was freaking out.”

Another man, identifying himself only as Derek from the Indianapolis area, told CNN affiliate WOOD that he was at a Kalamazoo pub when he heard about the shootings and decided that he, his wife and in-laws might be better off taking Uber to their hotel rather than walking.

Dalton arrived in a Chevrolet HHR to pick them up, Derek told the station, adding that he was in the front seat.

“I kind of jokingly said to the driver, ‘You’re not the shooter, are you?’ He gave me some sort of a ‘no’ response. … I said, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m not. I’m just tired,’ ” Derek told WOOD. “And we proceeded to have a pretty normal conversation after that.”

Uber Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan said Dalton passed a background check. Police also said Dalton did not have a criminal record.

“We are horrified and heartbroken at the senseless violence in Kalamazoo,” Sullivan said. “We have reached out to the police to help with their investigation in any way that we can.”

After an hours-long manhunt, police found Dalton’s Chevrolet HHR and arrested the suspect. County prosecutor Jeffrey Getting said the alleged gunman was “even-tempered” during his arrest.

‘Your average Joe’

In the suspect’s Kalamazoo neighborhood, residents said they never saw Dalton distressed.

He was “very level and calm, and (a) real nice guy,” Chad Landon told CNN affiliate WXYZ.

For the past 10 years, Sally and Gary Pardo have lived across the street from Dalton’s house.

Sally Pardo told CNN that Dalton is married with two children. They seemed to be a “typical American family,” she said.

“We’re in shock. We’re wondering what might have caused him to do this (to) all those innocent families and the victims,” her husband, Gary Pardo, told CNN affiliate WXYZ. “It’s just horrific.”

Dalton did have an obvious passion, Gary Pardo said: “I know he liked guns.”

Hadley, the public safety chief, said authorities have seized weapons from Dalton’s home. But it doesn’t explain the rampage.

“For all intents and purposes, he was your average Joe,” Hadley said. “This was random.”

Many charges

Dalton might speak for the first time in court Monday afternoon, when he is expected to be arraigned, Hadley said.

Getting, the prosecutor, said he thinks Dalton will be charged on more than a dozen counts.

“I would expect six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, six counts of felony firearm, and then we’ll see from there.”

Why Dalton may have driven around his own community, gunning people down randomly, remains a mystery.

“We just can’t figure out the motive,” Hadley said. “There’s nothing that gives us any indication as to why he would do this or what would have triggered this. The victims did not know him; he did not know the victims.”

CNN’s Nick Valencia, Ed Danko, Vivian Kuo and Melanie Whitley contributed to this report.

The post Kalamazoo rampage suspect: Who is Jason Brian Dalton? appeared first on East Idaho News.

POCATELLO — A man is in the Bannock County Detention Center after police say he shot his brother.

Dustin Sweeney, 30, is charged with aggravated battery after an incident in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 7, on the 300 block of South Lincoln Avenue.

Court documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com reveal the victim had a bullet wound to his left leg, just above his kneecap. He was taken to Portneuf Medical Center and then airlifted to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Witness statements indicate there was an argument between the brothers before the shooting.

A neighbor told police he heard the men yelling, “Just get out of here” and “Give me my Glock back.”

At one point, court documents state, the neighbor heard Sweeney say, “I’ll shoot you,” and a gunshot followed moments later.

Reports state the neighbor heard the victim say, “You (expletive) shot me” and Sweeney replied, “I told you, I told you.”

At that point, the neighbor crawled to inside and asked his estranged wife called police.

Police arrived moments later and said Sweeney had left the home on foot.

Sweeney was located the next day, on Feb. 9, at the Thunderbird Motel in Pocatello.

Detectives said the victim was uncooperative and did not want an investigation conducted. He later signed a release of investigation.

They consulted with Bannock County prosecutor and determined there is enough evidence to prosecute Sweeney regardless of whether his brother wanted to cooperate with investigators.

Court records show Bannock County Prosecutor Stephen Herzog will seek an enhancement penalty for the use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime. The enhancement effectively doubles the sentence in this crime from 15 to years to 30 years of maximum incarceration if Sweeney is convicted.

Sweeney is being held on $50,000 bond.

The post Pocatello man accused of shooting brother appeared first on East Idaho News.

IDAHO FALLS — A California man was arrested and booked into Bonneville County Jail for aggravated assault this weekend.

Police reports show officers responded to the 400 block of West 19th Street around 3 p.m. Sunday for a report of a child custody disturbance.

A 56‐year‐old woman reported to police that a man, later identified as Phillip A. R. Worsham of San Jose, California, and 21‐year‐old Tina Spencer arrived at her residence demanding to take the woman’s grandchild. The grandchild is the child of the 56‐year‐old woman’s son and Tina Spencer.

Worsham and Spencer were told no and asked to leave. The two left at that time, according to an Idaho Falls Police Department news release.

Police say a short time later the woman left her home to run an errand. At which time she noticed Worsham and Spencer following her in a truck.

When the woman returned home, Worsham and Spencer appeared back at the residence. Worsham ran toward the woman pulling a pellet gun from his pants. The woman ran into the house and called police.

Worsham and Spencer fled the scene, but were later stopped by Idaho State Police on Interstate 15 near Pocatello. ISP located the weapon in the vehicle and seized it.

Spencer was arrested by ISP for driving on a suspended driver’s license, possession of a stolen vehicle and a warrant. She was booked into the Bannock County Detention Center.

Worsham was transported back to Idaho Falls and placed under arrest for aggravated assault. He is being held with no bail until his initial court appearance today. Worsham also is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.

The post Man arrested for threatening a 56-year-old woman with pellet gun appeared first on East Idaho News.

UPDATE:

Court records obtained by EastIdahoNews.com show investigators discovered methamphetamine in a bottle of children’s Dimetapp — a cold and allergy medication — and within a partially full baby bottle.

Autopsy reports showed the presence of methamphetamine in the child’s stomach, blood and urine. Investigators said the presence of meth in the stomach is consistent with oral ingestion.

Forensic toxicologists determined a lethal dose of meth was likely administered three to four hours before the child’s death. Based on statements from Heather Elam and her roommate Rob Parker, investigators believe Elam was the only person capable of delivering the meth to baby Serenity in the time frame before she died, according to court documents.

A witness also told police Elam had been in possession of meth the night before the child died.

When Serenity was brought to the hospital, she was in full arrest. Hans Rudd, the attending physician, checked for a heartbeat and determined there was none. He told police “it was apparent that (the child) has not been breathing or conscious for a long time.”

ORIGINAL STORY

SALMON — A 25-year-old woman is being charged with first-degree murder after her 6-month-old daughter died of a methamphetamine overdose.

Lemhi County Prosecutor Bruce Withers announced the charge against Heather Elam Monday afternoon.

The baby, Serenity Gail Elmore, died over a year ago on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015.

According to Lemhi County Sheriff Lynn Bowerman, Elam reported the baby was found unresponsive at her home.

“My office responded and we believed it was SIDS,” Bowerman tells EastIdahoNews.com. “An autopsy was performed and it was (discovered that) a lethal dose of meth (was) in the child’s stomach.”

Bowerman said autopsies are performed on all infants who die in Lemhi County. The results of the autopsy were recently returned to county officials.

Serenity was born on July 3, 2014 in Idaho Falls.

Elam is already incarcerated at the Pocatello Woman’s Correctional Center. She was sentenced to a rider drug rehabilitation program stemming from a April 2015 charge of possession of a controlled substance.

Idaho State Police served Elam with charging documents today at the Correctional Center. Charging documents show Elam could receive 10 years to life in prison.

Withers said the prosecutor’s office will not be pursuing the death penalty in this case.

RELATED CONTENT

Obituary for Serenity G. Elmore

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IDAHO FALLS — A local man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl.

James Patrick Kilroy, 31, was originally charged with lewd conduct with a child under 16. As part of a plea agreement, the charge was amended to child sexual abuse of a minor under 16.

In District Court in Bonneville County, Kilroy was sentenced Monday afternoon to 13 years fixed and 12 years indeterminate by Judge Dane H. Watkins Jr.

“My daughter trusted everyone, she made everyone smile, she saw the good in people,” the mother of the girl read in a victim impact letter. “Now she looks over her shoulder and asks if James is still in jail.”

Kilroy was staying with a friend when the abuse happened. The child’s father was asleep and her mother was in another room doing laundry when Kilroy went upstairs with the girl.

Documents state he “trapped” the child and sexually assaulted her.

The girl reported the incident to her mother. She would later tell police Kilroy had molested her during a previous incident, but he threatened her not to say anything.

Kilroy and his attorney, Jordan Crane, both requested probation and argued that Kilroy could be treated in out-patient treatment.

Chief Prosecutor John Dewey argued Kilroy’s criminal history proves he is a risk to the community.

Dewey specifically Kilroy’s convictions for sexual molesting 5- and 7-year-old female relatives. Then, while in treatment for those charges, Kilroy sexually assaulted a member of the group home he was living in, Dewey said.

“I’m very sorry,” Kilroy told the court. “I’m not smart. The last time I did anything like this was 16 years ago. I’m human and I made a mistake. I just want to go home.”

“I need to detour you from committing offenses,” Watkins told Kilroy. “The court recognizes and appreciates your statement; however, it is just not that easy — you can’t be sent home. The age of the victim is very tender in years. The court believes you’re a risk, and you perpetrated this act for your own sexual gratification.”

The mother of the child told EastIdahoNews.com Kilroy’s statement was cowardly.

“‘I want go home’ — really? (The child) can’t go home, she can’t go back to her normal life. She will in time, but its not that easy,” the mother said.

She said she was “very happy” with the sentence.

“We finally got closure. (The child) will move on from here and become the best she can be. … Now she has closed this door and can move onto healing,” she said.

The post Man sentenced to 25 years prison for sexually abusing 6-year-old appeared first on East Idaho News.

(CNN) — The man who police say roamed Kalamazoo County gunning down random victims this weekend appeared in court Monday to begin answering murder, assault and firearms charges.

The apparently random violence allegedly unleashed by Jason Brian Dalton left even law enforcement chilled. In an interview with CNN affiliate WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas called the shootings “your worst nightmare.”

According to authorities, Dalton, a married father of two, shot eight people in three locations across the county of 321,000 people Saturday evening in what Prosecuting Attorney Jeffrey Getting told CNN on Monday were “very deliberate killings.”

In between the killings, the Uber driver picked up fares, according to a source close to the investigation.

“This wasn’t hurried in any way, shape or form,” Getting said of the shootings, two of which were captured on video. “They were intentional, deliberate and, I don’t want to say casually done. Coldly done is what I want to say.”

Police: Dalton said he ‘took peoples’ lives’

Dalton was charged Monday with six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and eight firearms charges.

At a probable cause hearing just before an arraignment, detectives testified that Dalton said he told them that he “took peoples’ lives,” after he was read his rights that include the right to remain silent.

Dalton appeared in court via video, wearing black glasses and an orange jumpsuit. He showed no emotion as the charges against him were read. A judge denied bail.

The only thing apparently connecting the victims? According to police, just Getting and his semi-automatic pistol — which is consistent with the shell casings found at each scene, authorities said.

“There isn’t a connection that we’ve been able to establish between any of the three victim groups with each other, any of the three victim groups with the defendant,” Getting told CNN’s “New Day.” “It just is, well, it was random, unprovoked violence.”

The Dalton family released a statement, expressing its condolences to the families of the victims.

“This type of violence has no place in our society, and we express our love and support for everyone involved. We intend to cooperate in every way that we can to help determine why and how this occurred,” it read.

While Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Dalton is cooperating with investigators, there are no clear answers as to what touched off the shooting spree.

“My best sense is that it was somebody who was having an issue at the time and for whatever reason they decided to do what they did,” he told CNN’s “New Day” on Monday.

Timeline of the shootings

The first shooting occurred around 5:42 p.m. Saturday.

According to police, investigators believe Dalton first shot a woman identified as Tiana Carruthers in front of her children in an apartment complex parking lot. She was struck multiple times but is expected to survive.

Four hours later, the gunman killed Richard Smith, 53, and his son Tyler, 17, at a car dealership, police said.

Tyler’s 17-year-old girlfriend witnessed the shootings from the back seat of their car.

“The suspect got out of his car. Walked up to them shot them and then left,” Public Safety Director Jeff Hadley said. “Cold blooded.”

Then he drove to a Cracker Barrel restaurant and opened fire in the parking lot, killing four women and grievously wounding a 14-year-old girl, police said.

Police identified the dead in those shootings as Dorothy Brown, 74; Barbara Hawthorne, 68; Mary Lou Nye, 62; and Mary Jo Nye, 60.

The 14-year-old girl who was in the passenger seat of one of the vehicles is in critical condition. Hadley said Monday the girl is “still holding on” and responding to verbal commands.

Two hours after the final shooting, police arrested Dalton without incident in downtown Kalamazoo, police said. Eleven rifles were found at his home, a law enforcement official told CNN.

‘He was your average Joe’

Matt Mellen told CNN affiliate WWMT-TV he rode in Dalton’s car just before the shootings started.

“We got about a mile from my house, and he got a telephone call. After that call, he started driving erratically, running stop signs,” Mellen told the station.

WOOD-TV reported that another man told the station he had sought an Uber ride as a safer alternative to walking with a killer on the loose, only to apparently end up in Dalton’s car.

“I kind of jokingly said to the driver, ‘You’re not the shooter, are you?’ He gave me some sort of a ‘no’ response … shook his head,” the station quoted the man, whom it identified only as Derek, as saying.

“I said, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m not, I’m just tired.’ And we proceeded to have a pretty normal conversation after that.”

Uber’s chief security officer told CNN that Dalton passed a background check. Police also said Dalton did not have a criminal record.

“For all intents and purposes, he was your average Joe,” said Hadley, the public safety chief. “This was random.”

CNN’s Dana Ford, Evan Perez, Nick Valencia and Sheena Jones contributed to this report.

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(CNN) — Jonathan Brian Dalton, the man suspected in the weekend shooting spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan, now faces six counts of murder. But even his arraignment hearing shed no light on his motive.

As the investigation proceeds, bits and pieces of information are clearing the murky picture — but not by much.

Here’s the latest on what we know about the rampage that left six people dead and two injured.

The suspect may have switched cars

Dalton was a driver for Uber — and even picked up fares in between the shootings, a source close to the investigation said.

Matt Mellen told CNN he rode in Dalton’s car just before the shootings started. Later, after Dalton’s arrested, he recalled something odd.

“I was actually picked up in a different vehicle than the vehicle he was apprehended in,” Mellen told CNN’s “AC360.” “I was picked up in a Chevy Equinox — silver Equinox — and he was apprehended in a darker colored HHR.”

During the hours-long search for the gunman Saturday night, authorities said they were looking for a silver or dark blue car.

He bought a ‘heavy-duty’ jacket at a gun store that day

A few hours before the rampage started Saturday, Dalton walked into Southwick’s — a gun shop in the nearby city of Plainwell, owner Jonathan Southwick said.

Dalton was a regular at the store. He smiled, laughed and hugged an employee, Southwick said.

He spent about 10 minutes in the store before purchasing a “heavy duty” jacket that could conceal a small pistol.

The gun store owner said Dalton never gave him any reason to be alarmed.

Police found 11 rifles in his house

As authorities try to gather more clues about Dalton’s life, they found 11 rifles at his Kalamazoo home, a law enforcement official told CNN.

The suspect is married with two children. Family members said they are bewildered about what happened.

“This type of violence has no place in our society, and we express our love and support for everyone involved,” the Dalton family said in a statement. “We intend to cooperate in every way that we can to help determine why and how this occurred.”

The evidence suggests the same gun

Police said the only apparent connection between the suspect and the victims was his semi-automatic pistol — which is consistent with the shell casings found at each scene.

But the evidence didn’t help in determining the motive.

“My best sense is that it was somebody who was having an issue at the time and for whatever reason they decided to do what they did,” Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said.

The suspect will remain in jail

Dalton was charged Monday with six counts of murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder and eight firearms charges.

He showed no emotion as the charges against him were read. At a probable cause hearing just before an arraignment, detectives testified that Dalton said he told them that he “took peoples’ lives.”

A judge denied bail.

The youngest victim is holding on

A 14-year-old girl in one of the passenger seats, Abigail Kopf, was gravely injured. She remains in critical condition at Bronson Children’s Hospital.

“In spite of the seriousness of her injuries, we are encouraged by the relative stability over the last few days and her responsiveness to her parents and our team,” Medical Director Dr. Aaron Lane-Davies said.

Abigail’s parents issued a statement Monday night thanking well-wishers for their support.

They also expressed sympathy for the family of the alleged gunman.

“Our thoughts are with the Dalton family who also are suffering at this time,” the Kopfs said. “We want his family to know we don’t hold anything against the family members.”

CNN’s Dana Ford, Tina Burnside, Evan Perez, Nick Valencia and Sheena Jones contributed to this report.

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IDAHO FALLS — A Rigby woman accused of shoplifting from a thrift store was also arrested on drug charges late Monday Feb. 22.

Idaho Falls police responded to Deseret Industries on E Street to investigate a theft. According to a news release, Lacy J. Moedl, 37, had been caught by DI security stealing merchandise.

When officers arrested Moedl, they found she had methamphetamine, hydrocodone, various other prescription medications, and a syringe and spoon set.

Moedl was booked into the Bonneville County Jail on two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and petty theft, both misdemeanors, and a Bonneville County warrant. Bond was set at $15,000.

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REXBURG – A 25-year-old man accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl pleaded guilty to rape Tuesday as part of a plea deal.

Investigators say Jose Isaac Turcios worked in a supervisory role at a Rexburg fast food restaurant. The teenager was an employee at the restaurant. Police reports show Turcios and the teenager engaged in several sexual acts inside the restaurant in September 2015.

The Upper Valley man was arrested in mid-November as part of a joint investigation between the Rexburg Police Department and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

Turcios was originally charged with two felony counts of rape and one felony count of sexual battery of a child. Madison County Prosecutor Sid Brown told EastIdahoNews.com that as a part of the plea deal, one rape charge and the sexual battery charge will be dismissed.

The state plans to recommend either supervised probation or a retained jurisdiction program depending on the results of a psychosexual evaluation.

Turcios is in the Madison County Jail on a $200,000 bond. He will be sentenced April 4.

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Rexburg man charged with statutory rape, sexual battery of a child

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IDAHO FALLS — A 20-year-old man is facing charges for a vehicle burglary that occurred in January.

Devin J. Howe was served the arrest warrant for burglary on Wednesday.

Howe of Idaho Falls was already in the Bonneville County Jail for a separate incident.

According to investigators, the vehicle burglary occurred on Jan. 18 in the 2100 block of
Wahlquist. Police say Howe is linked to the crime.

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IDAHO FALLS — Bonneville County Sheriff deputies and Idaho Falls police officers are searching for a wanted 30-year-old man named Joey Dunaway.

Dunaway is wanted for several felony and misdemeanor warrants in the area of Hoopes and Parkwood.

Investigators say Dunaway was spotted in a vehicle by a deputy and he immediately fled, subsequently crashing into another vehicle at the intersection of Hoopes and Parkwood.

Dunaway fled the scene on foot northbound in that area, according to police, and officers are currently searching for him.

There were no reported injuries in the crash.

If you have any information on Dunaway or his whereabouts, investigators ask you to call (208) 529-1200 or visit www.ifcrime.org.

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HESSTON, Kansas (CNN) — A Kansas sheriff’s deputy served a man a “protection from abuse” order just 1½ hours before that man began opening fire — a flurry of bullets that ended with at least 14 wounded and three dead before the shooter was shot and killed.

While it wasn’t immediately clear what led to the protection order, Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said, “I believe that probably is the trigger, and it went from there.”

All of those killed and all but two of those wounded Thursday were struck in and around the building of the gunman’s employer, a lawn care equipment manufacturer in Hesston, Kansas, authorities said.

The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office indicated Thursday that 10 of the 14 wounded were critical.

Their conditions may have changed since, though. Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita, had one in critical, two in serious and four in fair condition Friday morning, spokeswoman Roz Hutchinson said. Three of the four being treated at Wesley Medical Center are serious and the other is fair, said Susan Burchill, the spokeswoman there. CNN is waiting to hear back from one other hospital were victims are believed to be.

The carnage left people grasping for answers in Hesston, a small city of about 3,700 people located about 35 miles north of Wichita. While authorities hunt for these, Harvey County’s sheriff said that residents “are ready to start grieving.”

“Everybody says it can’t happen here,” Walton said. “And here we are. It happened here.”

Friend: Shooter ‘hopped out with the gun on’

Dispatchers got the first call at 4:57 p.m. (5:57 p.m. ET) with reports of a male in a gray Dodge opening fire, according to Walton.

A man was shot in the shoulder, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Another person was reportedly shot in the leg about two miles north.

Minutes later, authorities received multiple reports of shots fired at Excel Industries, where an estimated 150 people were working at the time, according to Walton.

One of those workers was Matt Jarrell, who identified the shooter as his colleague and friend Cedric Ford to CNN affiliate KSNW.

Moments before the two clocked in at work at the same time Thursday, they were talking about Ford’s new truck, Jarrell said.

About two hours into his shift, it was time for Jarrell’s break. Ford was supposed to relieve him, he said, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Jarrell went outside, and the new truck was gone. A few minutes later, Ford returned in a different car, he said.

“He just parked and then opened up the door, hopped out with the gun on, strapped-up and everything,” Jarrell said.

Ford yelled “hey” at a bystander nearby and then shot that person, Jarrell said.

“I witnessed him shoot the shots. I saw the shell casings come out of the assault rifle,” he said. “I mean, that vivid. I can still see it.”

The whole episode shocked Jarrell, who “never in a million years” would have expected his friend to do something like this.

“He was a mellow guy,” Jarrell said. “He was somebody I could talk to about anything.”

‘Pop, pop’ and screaming, witness recalls

Another Excel employee, identified as Dylan by KSNW, rubbed blood from his hands — which came from helping a man who’d been shot — as he recalled the chaotic, horrific scene.

“We heard a pop, pop, and we thought it was just metal falling on the ground, and then the doors opened, people started screaming, coming out,” he said. “We really didn’t know what was going on.”

Matt Gerald told The Hesston Record newspaper that he was outside on break when he saw the shooter.

“I saw the shooter get out of his truck, shoot someone down and go into the building,” Gerald said. “I was flabbergasted. I was at a loss for words.”

The gunman had a long gun and a pistol, according to Walton. He said the victims appear to have been randomly targeted.

Authorities were on the scene at 5:06 p.m. local time — minutes after the first reports came in, according to a timeline shown to reporters.

The first law enforcement officer to arrive on the scene was alone, and single-handedly took down the shooter.

“Even though he took fire, he went inside of that place and saved multiple, multiple lives,” Walton said. “[He’s] a hero, as far as I’m concerned.”

‘This will take some time’

Walton said authorities are expected to release the name of the officer on Friday morning.

No law enforcement official was injured.

A witness told CNN affiliate KWCH that outside the shooting, many cried, hugged and tried to find answers.

“I’ve never experienced that before,” he said as he choked up. “You think you’re safe at work and you’re not. It’s just scary.”

Gov. Sam Brownback offered his condolences to the people of Hesston. He ordered flags flown at half-staff Friday.

“This will take some time to work through,” Walton said.

“This is just a horrible incident,” the sheriff said. “It’s going to be a lot of sad people before this is all over.”

CNN’s Rosa Flores reported from Hesston, Kansas, and CNN’s Josh Berlinger and Greg Botelho reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN’s Dana Ford, Tina Burnside, Carma Hassan, Keith Allen, Melanie Whitley, Dani Stewart, Andy Rose, Shane Deitert, Braden Walker and Jose Diaz contributed to this report.

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