Prowler complaint leads to three arrests in Idaho Falls - East Idaho News
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Prowler complaint leads to three arrests in Idaho Falls

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

IDAHO FALLS — On March 8, shortly after 1 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of North Water called Idaho Falls Police Dispatch reporting that they believed there was prowler in the area trying to break into their residence. Idaho Falls Police Officers responded to the area and did not locate anyone at that time.

Shortly before 2 a.m., the caller called dispatch reporting that they heard someone again. Idaho Falls Police officers responded to the area again. As the first officer was arriving, the officer saw a man in the corner of a parking lot nearby. The officer illuminated the man with a flashlight, yelled out that he was a police officer and directed the man to come speak with him.

The man moved away from the officer, stopping near a vehicle before coming back towards the officer and speaking with the officer briefly. When the officer walked towards the vehicle the man had stopped by, the man fled on foot.

The officer located a loaded handgun near the vehicle where the man had stopped. Officers conducted a search of the area looking for the man to ascertain why he had ditched the handgun.

While searching the area, an Idaho Falls Police officer located a Buick Sedan that seemed to be moving through the area in a suspicious manner. The Officer observed the vehicle traveling at 30 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone and activated his overhead lights to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle.

The vehicle fled from the officer and a brief pursuit ensued with the suspect vehicle reaching speeds of up to 76 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone. The driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to turn south onto Spruce Drive from Garfield Street and came to a stop in a yard in the 400 block of Spruce and stopping in a snowbank.

A police officer saw the driver attempting to reach for the door handle of the vehicle and pulled his patrol vehicle up next to the suspect vehicle to attempt to stop the driver from fleeing. The driver exited through the rear passenger door instead and ran from the vehicle on foot.

A passenger stayed in the vehicle and was taken into custody there. Officers searched the area and eventually located the driver in the 300 block of Redwood Street where they were also taken into custody.

The driver and passenger were identified and found to be juveniles. The vehicle they were driving was found to be stolen. The juveniles were found to be in possession of two stolen firearms, both of which included loaded magazines, alcohol, marijuana, marijuana wax, hydrocodone, and cigarettes. Both juveniles were transported to the 3B Juvenile Detention Center on various charges.

While this was occurring, officers continued to search the area for the man who had fled from the officer who was investigating the prowler complaint. An officer in the area located a vehicle near the intersection of Walnut Street and Corner Street and noticed a person sleeping in the front seat of the vehicle. The person had an open beer can in their lap, and Officers saw two firearms within the driver’s reach.

Officers woke the driver and removed her from the vehicle. Officers found that the driver was a convicted felon who is not allowed to be in possession of firearms. Inside the vehicle, Officers located a handgun, two AR10’s, and 3.05 grams of marijuana.

The driver, Victoria Eldridge, was arrested for felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and misdemeanor possession of marijuana and was taken to the Bonneville County Jail.

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