Man arrested after allegedly aiming handgun at motorcycle rider in Lava

LAVA HOT SPRINGS — A man was arrested after he aimed a handgun at another man riding a motorcycle through Lava Hot Springs, authorities say.

Noah Rosales, 51, has been charged with felony aggravated assault following the incident, court records show.

Deputies with the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 3 a.m. Monday, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The victim told deputies that he was riding his motorcycle, followed by a friend in a pickup truck, near the 300 block of Main Street. He said that while he was riding, he noticed a laser on the road. As he approached the laser, it raised off the roadway onto his body.

When he looked up, the biker told officers he saw a man standing behind a van pointing a handgun with a laser sight at him.

The biker said he waved his friend in the truck to pass him and followed the truck out of the area.

The victim provided deputies with a description of the man with the gun. That description, the affidavit says, matched that of a man a deputy at the scene had interacted with just 45 minutes earlier.

According to a police report, the deputy was flagged down by Rosales, who reported an unrelated incident from the day before. Rosales, the deputy noted, wanted to provide the deputy with further details regarding the previous incident and told the deputy where he was staying. The deputy also noted that Rosales seemed to be intoxicated at the time.

After the incident with the gun, deputies approached Rosales’ hotel room, and one of them noticed Rosales was armed. The deputies took cover and demanded Rosales put down his gun and come out of the room.

After they were identified as law enforcement, the affidavit says, Rosales followed the deputies’ commands.

Deputies informed Rosales that he was being arrested for aggravated assault and told him about the call they had received.

After first denying any involvement and requesting video of the incident, the affidavit says that Rosales did admit to aiming his gun at the ground. He told deputies “they were coming at me, and I felt threatened,” the affidavit says, but he said he never aimed the gun at any person.

When asked, however, Rosales was unable to explain how “they” were “coming at (him).”

He was placed under arrest and transported to Bannock County Jail for booking.

Deputies did note that despite being intoxicated, Rosales was “pleasant and respectful” during their interaction with him.

Rosales posted a $10,000 bond Tuesday and was released.

Although Rosales has been charged with these crimes, it does not mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, he would face up to five years in prison and $50,000 in fines.

Rosales is scheduled to appear in court before Magistrate Judge Scott Axline for a preliminary hearing on May 10.