New details emerge about gas station armed robbery as suspect appears in court
Published at | Updated at
IDAHO FALLS — A man at the center of an armed robbery at an Idaho Falls gas station appeared in court this week.
James Eldon Perry, 43, is charged with two felonies, one of robbery and the other of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, after an altercation involving a knife and an AR-15 style rifle at Maverik on Sunnyside Road in Idaho Falls.
Perry was located on May 12 and is now in police custody. He was present for an initial appearance on May 18, where a preliminary hearing was set for June 1.
RELATED | ‘Armed and dangerous’ carjacking suspect now in police custody
On May 10 around 5:35 p.m. police arrived at the Maverik after being notified of an armed robbery.
The suspect allegedly pointed an AR-15 style rifle and a knife at the two victims in the Subaru, telling them to “get the f*** out of the car.” He is also accused of pointing the knife at one victim while making a stabbing motion and pointing the AR-15 style rifle at the other victim.
The victims got out of the vehicle and Perry drove away in the Subaru.
One of the victims told police they had come to Maverik in search of a white 1998 Ford Expedition that had been stolen from them after attempting to sell it to a friend. After hearing from the friend that the Expedition might be at the gas station, the victims were able to locate it.
The victims said when they spotted the stolen SUV, there was a man standing outside of it and one of the victims went to talk to him. The man seemed to be looking for keys to the vehicle when he allegedly “jumped out with a damn gun…an AR,” according to one of the victims.
Police found a spent bullet casing and blood inside the Expedition, according to court documents.
RELATED | Armed and dangerous suspect on the run following carjacking
One of the victims told police that the friend he had tried to sell the SUV to told him that “he thinks a male by the name of James took the Expedition”.
One victim told officers she believed her phone was still in the Subaru. Police were then able to ping the location of the phone in the car to Bingham County. Law enforcement was notified and police were called to the location.
When asked by police how many times the suspect pointed the rifle at him, the victim stated, “it was constantly, the whole time.”
After obtaining the security footage from Maverik, police were able to identify the suspect as James Eldon Perry, based on a DMV photo of Perry.
Later that night, police received an anonymous call reporting “a man with an assault rifle was in an alley pointing it at people.” The caller reported that the suspect was a “tall Indian male”.
The Subaru was located in Bingham County and returned to the victim. Perry was later arrested, although it is unclear where or when he was found. If convicted, he could face five years to life in prison.