Gun store burglar now answering to Fremont County charges

Travis Castro

St. ANTHONY — A man who burglarized an Idaho Falls gun store and led police on a high-speed pursuit through Rexburg is now answering to charges in Fremont County, where the chase began.

Travis Castro, 30, faces a felony charge attempting to flee a law enforcement officer and two misdemeanors for reckless driving.

Castro has been found guilty in both Madison and Bonneville counties on theft, drug and eluding charges. He is not eligible for parole for another six years and could spend up to the next 21 years in prison.

Castro had his first appearance in Fremont County earlier this week and is due back in court later this month.

In August, an off-duty Idaho Falls police officer recognize Castro in the St. Anthony area and alerted local police. St. Anthony police located Castro and attempted to stop him, but he drove south of town, police said.

The chase entered the city of Rexburg, and at times Castro led police at speeds greater than 50 mph. At one point police had him cornered at JB’s Restaurant on West Main Street, but he got away after crashing through a storage shed.

The pursuit came to an end when Castro plowed through the intersection at Main and Center streets. Six cars were damaged in the crash, including a vehicle that had a woman and child inside. A stolen four-wheeler in the back of the stolen truck Castro was driving flew from the bed during the accident.

Dash camera video captured from a Rexburg police car shows the dramatic police pursuit with Travis Castro. This video was shown during Castro’s preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 7.

During an October sentencing hearing in Madison County, Seventh District Judge Gregory Moeller told Castro he was a “dangerous criminal” who was “unsuccessful from escaping justice the day he fled from police.” Moeller sentenced Castro to 12 years in prison, with five year fixed and 12 indeterminate.

In November, District Judge Bruce Pickett sentenced Castro to two to 10 years in prison for his Bonneville County charges of burglary and grand theft following Castro’s guilty plea to stealing 16 firearms from Guns N Gear during an August burglary.