Man breaks into gas station with pickaxe and admits to crime, court documents say

IDAHO FALLS — A 28-year-old Idaho Falls man was charged after allegedly breaking into a convenience store with a pickaxe.

Raistlin Dean Waterman later admitted to police that he had done it, according to court documents. He was charged with felony burglary.

According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Idaho Falls Police Department, on Sept. 16 around 1:40 a.m., an officer went to Fremont Avenue for a reported burglary at a Conoco gas station. The officer noticed a pickaxe sitting below a window at the business.

The window appeared to have been broken, documents said. A fist-size hole was found next to chewing tobacco containers.

A witness was working across the street nearby. She told police that she was facing the gas station when she heard a loud crash that sounded like glass breaking. Documents said when she looked up, she could see a person, who was later identified as Waterman, who appeared to be stealing from the business.

She described what the man looked like to the officer. Another officer noticed a man walking down the road who appeared to be involved. During the investigation, the man identified himself as Waterman.

Waterman told officers he was the one who broke into the gas station.

According to documents, he said he broke into the building with a pickaxe and stole some items. He was found with three unopened containers of chew matching the shape of the containers that were by the fist-size hole.

The incident was caught on a surveillance camera.

Waterman was given a $25,000 bond. The charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.

He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. at the Bonneville County Courthouse.