Cases involving three different chases nearing court decision
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POCATELLO — Three men are scheduled to appear in court facing separate charges involving high-speed chases in southeast Idaho.
Jonathan Hamilton will be sentenced in May after reaching a plea agreement. Talon Cavanaugh and Ceaser Rodriguez are each scheduled to appear before juries after registering pleas of not guilty.
Hamilton, 38, was arrested on Jan. 20 following a car chase that began in Soda Springs and ended when his vehicle was disabled just north of McCammon.
Hamilton was observed by Caribou County Sheriff’s deputies driving erratically. He slowed down at first, but later accelerated in an attempt to get away.
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The chase, which began on U.S. Highway 30, reached speeds of more than 130 mph, according to police reports. Hamilton’s vehicle was finally disabled on Interstate 15, near milepost 48, after Idaho State Police successfully deployed spike strips.
Because Hamilton had a passenger who was not a willing participant in the chase, he was charged with kidnapping. Because that passenger told officers eshe feared for her life, an aggravated assault was added.
Charges also included possession of marijuana and a stolen license plate, which was displayed on the vehicle.
As part of his plea agreement, Hamilton has changed his pleas to guilty for the charges of fleeing an officer, possession of marijuana and theft of a license plate on March 29. The aggravated assault and kidnapping charges have been dismissed.
Hamilton is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mitchell Brown on May 28.
Cavanaugh, 26, was arrested on Feb. 11 following a high-speed chase that began in Chubbuck and did not end until he lost control of his vehicle in Fort Hall.
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Cavanaugh, who is alleged to have fired a pistol in the direction of a Bonneville County woman and her child, fired a pistol out of the window of his car in the direction of a Chubbuck police officer attempting a traffic stop.
After an extensive chase that reached speeds greater than 125 mph, officers from Pocatello, Chubbuck, Fort Hall, the Idaho State Police and Bannock County Sheriff’s Office detained him. At the time of his arrest, Cavanaugh required Narcan, having consumed what he later said was five grams of heroin.
A destruction of evidence charge for consuming the narcotic was dismissed by the prosecutor’s office.
Cavanaugh has entered pleas of not guilty to charges of fleeing officers and assault and battery on an officer. He also faces persistent violator and deadly weapon enhancements.
He is scheduled to appear before a jury on July 20.
Rodriguez, 31, was arrested on March 6 following a chase in downtown Pocatello that concluded with Rodriguez crashing his vehicle into a police cruiser.
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Rodriguez is alleged to have been involved in multiple bar fights before the chase that night.
When officers from the Pocatello Police Department identified his vehicle on Center Street around 2:30 a.m., Rodriguez attempted to avoid arrest, driving nearly 40 mph above posted speed limits in town and residential areas.
Deployment of spike strips and PIT maneuvers were unsuccessful, police reports say.
Rodriguez turned his vehicle around near Hidden Valley Community Park before accelerating toward officers, striking one patrol vehicle while speeding up.
No officers were injured during the arrest.
Rodriguez has entered pleas of not guilty for charges of fleeing an officer and aggravated battery.
He is scheduled to stand jury trial on Aug. 3.