Pocatello man faces 11 felonies stemming from string of vehicle thefts, burglaries - East Idaho News
Crime Watch

Pocatello man faces 11 felonies stemming from string of vehicle thefts, burglaries

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POCATELLO — A local man is facing 11 separate felony charges following alleged thefts and burglaries spanning two counties.

Ronald Ray Hymas, 29, was arrested by officers from the Pocatello Police Department Monday when he was allegedly found in possession of a stolen vehicle. At the time of his arrest, he was also allegedly in possession of several items stolen from other vehicles that had been reported burglarized, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Hymas was arrested last month following a high-speed pursuit that came to a close when he drove a stolen vehicle into a canal in Blackfoot.

Ronald Ray Hymas, stolen vehicle in canal following chase
Courtesy Bingham County Jail and Blackfoot Police Department

He was released on his own recognizance on April 22, but failed to appear in court on May 3 and had a warrant issued for his arrest.

Officers responded to calls of vehicle burglaries on Meadowbrook Lane around 2 p.m. on May 12.

The owners of two cars at the home told police that two separate burglaries occured, the first around 11:30 p.m. the night prior and the second around 7 a.m.. The vehicles were not reported damaged, but several items were taken, according to police reports.

Among the items reported missing were ID cards, three credit and debit cards, two knives and three pairs of sunglasses, which were valued between $200 and $250 apiece.

The stolen cards had been used to make two separate purchases, one for $171.76 and the other for $191.18, at two separate convenience stores.

Included in the purchases were four lottery scratchers. One of the tickets was found to have won, and had been cashed in for $50 at the Albertsons on East Benton Street.

Officers compared the surveillance footage of the two convenience stores and Albertsons and determined the man in the video to be Hymas.

At 1:30 p.m. on May 13, officers searched Hymas’ home, finding him hiding in a closet.

He was found in possession of a set of keys and a vehicle that had been reported stolen. The owner of the vehicle was asked to come to the police station to confirm the vehicle.

They were able to confirm the vehicle as the one stolen, but said that several of the items in the vehicle did not belong to them. Those items included two backpacks, multiple tubs, two rolling toolboxes with several tools and toys, among other things.

The tools, toys and several other items were determined to have been those stolen from a vehicle in the Monte Vista area.

Inside the backpacks, officers found items, including the glasses and ID cards, from the Meadowbrook burglaries. They also found one of the lottery tickets and the mask seen in the surveillance footage from the convenience store purchases and lottery ticket collection.

Hymas was arrested and booked at the Bannock County Jail and has since been charged with four counts of grand theft, three counts of criminal possession of a stolen bank card and two counts of burglary. This is in addition to the felony charges of grand theft and eluding an officer from the chase in Bingham County.

If found guilty, Hymas could face a maximum of 110 years in prison and $325,000 in fines.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 25 for the crimes that occurred in Bannock County.

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