Man charged after grabbing his children at grocery store, fleeing to Wyoming
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REXBURG — A local man living in Wyoming is facing charges after a chaotic ordeal involving his children and wife that began at Broulim’s on Main Street on Friday.
Ricky Monk, 31, is charged with domestic battery, battery and injury to child. Monk and his wife are in the process of getting a divorce, and his wife recently filed a protection order against Monk that had not been served as of Friday, according to Rexburg Police Capt. Randy Lewis.
“He wanted to get his kids, so he tracked them down at Broulim’s,” Lewis says. “As she left the store, he grabbed the 5- and 6-year olds, tossed them into a pick-up truck his buddy was driving and then took his wife’s Yukon.”
Police were called to Broulim’s and reviewed surveillance footage, which Lewis says showed Monk was “forceful” with the kids and hurt one of the children while putting him into the truck. Monk’s wife was also pushed to the ground during the commotion, according to Lewis.
“Initially, we thought it was a kidnapping but when we learned the protection order hadn’t been issued, that changed everything because he has every right to those kids too,” Lewis says.
Police tracked Monk to Grand Teton National Park, where rangers stopped him and his friend. He was booked into the Teton County Wyoming Jail and bond was set at $35,000.
The children were returned to their mother in Parker, and Monk will likely be extradited back to Idaho on the charges.