Idaho trio arrested after allegedly ‘pistol whipping’ a man who sold them fake heroin

BOISE (Idaho Statesman)– Meridian police arrested three people early Wednesday morning on charges stemming from an alleged drug-related beating, according to a Thursday news release from the Meridian Police Department.

According to the release, police responded to St. Luke’s hospital in Meridian shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday in response to a report of a battery with the suspects still on-scene. A 45-year-old man told hospital staff that he had been “pistol whipped” — hit with a gun — after selling fake heroin to a Boise man.

The victim told police he’d sold the fake drugs to Justin Smith, 31. Smith, accompanied by 26-year-old Tommy Eyton, of Boise, and 21-year-old Jasmine Warren, of Horseshoe Bend, reportedly took the victim in their truck to find real heroin after realizing the drugs Smith had purchased were fake.

“Eventually, Smith became frustrated and pistol whipped (the victim), opening a laceration in his head requiring medical treatment,” the Meridian news release said. “The victim eventually separated from the group and his girlfriend drove him to the hospital, where the other three showed up looking for the victim.”

Police found Smith, Warren and Eyton at the hospital, according to the news release. Officers said Smith initially posed as his brother to avoid being arrested on an outstanding warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Officers searched the group’s vehicle and attached utility trailer with a K-9 unit, where they found buprenorphine, a prescription opioid that is a schedule-III controlled substance, as well as alprazolam, a schedule-IV prescription benzodiazepine, under Eyton’s seat.

Police also found .95 grams of what they believe to be heroin near both Eyton’s and Warren’s seats. Both individuals told officers they’d used heroin earlier in the day.

The search also turned up “a copious amount of drug paraphernalia, to include scales, packaging material, syringes, smoking devices, a marijuana grinder, etc.,” the news release said. “These items were located near the aforementioned and/or contained in the personal effects of Smith, Eyton and Warren.”

Additionally, officers found a .22-caliber pistol in a toolbox located in the utility trailer. They believe the gun was used in the beating of the 45-year-old victim.

All three suspects were arrested and taken to Ada County Jail, where they remained on Thursday morning.

Smith was arrested on the outstanding warrant charges, as well as four new charges: felony aggravated battery, felony aggravated assault, misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia and misdemeanor providing false information to law enforcement. He was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. for the outstanding warrant, according to court documents.

Eyton faces five charges: three felony counts of possession of a controlled substances, as well as misdemeanor counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and controlled substances. He was scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Warren is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. She was also scheduled be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, court documents show.

The victim was not identified in the news release.

This article was originally published in the Idaho Statesman. It is used here with permission.