Fleeing man arrested for DUI after vehicle smashes into local home - East Idaho News
Crime Watch

Fleeing man arrested for DUI after vehicle smashes into local home

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IDAHO FALL — A local man has been been arrested on a variety of charges after smashing his vehicle into the center of a local home and then fleeing the scene.

Jonathan Perez, 21, was arrested for felony eluding, misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident, and misdemeanor driving under the influence. His passenger, 22-year-old Andres Montoya was arrested on a Bingham County misdemeanor warrant and for resisting and obstructing officers, according to an Idaho Falls Police news release.

Police reports show at about 2:20 a.m. Saturday, an IFPD officer performed a traffic stop near the intersection of South Holmes Avenue and 4th Street. As the officer began to exit their police vehicle, which had emergency police lights activated, the officer checked their rearview mirror and saw another car rapidly approaching.

Jonathan Perez
Jonathan Perez | Courtesy Bonneville County Jail

The approaching car, a red sedan, was on a trajectory to hit the police vehicle. The officer quickly pulled the door closed, and observed the sedan nearly strike the police vehicle before continuing on the roadway.

The officer left the traffic stop to follow and attempt to stop the sedan with their police lights activated, according to the release. The vehicle fled from the officer turning left on to John Adams Street, running a red light and traveling at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour. The driver turned onto a residential street and the officer lost sight of them and discontinued the pursuit.

Not long after, officers in the area located the vehicle on the 1300 block of 1st Street when it had crashed into a residence. The vehicle came to rest inside the home, a short distance from its occupants. No one was injured, but the damage to the home was extreme.

Idaho Falls Police officers and Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies in the area located two people running from the scene of the collision. They were later identified as Perez and Montoya.

Both were taken into custody and booked into the Bonneville County jail.

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