Soda Springs woman charged with felonies in two separate attacks
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SODA SPRINGS — A woman police say intentionally caused a vehicle collision and later threatened to hit a woman with a tire iron faces several charges.
Joanna Puanani Jonak, 44, has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault and one misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, court records show.
Nov. 11
Soda Springs police officers received a report of a crash, according to an affidavit of probable cause. A woman came to the Soda Springs Police Department to show officers a video of the incident, which she found on Facebook.
The video, according to the affidavit, showed a Nissan Rogue intentionally ram a Toyota Tundra on the rear driver’s side fender, sending the Toyota into a 90-degree spin. After the collision, which occurred near the intersection of 2nd Street South and 3rd Street West, both vehicles speed away on 2nd South Street.
Four days later, while patrolling the same area, officers saw a Tundra that matched the one from the video. Police reports note damage to the rear driver’s side of the Toyota.
Officers also found the Nissan that appeared to match the one from the video — and also had damage that appeared to have been caused by a collision similar to the one in the crash.
They went to the registered address of the owner of the Nissan — Jonak — and spoke with a family member of Jonak, who said Jonak had been involved in a crash a few days before but did not provide a description of the incident.
The driver of the Toyota was Jonak’s husband, police said.
Nov. 16
Soda Springs police officers were called to a gas station on the 200 block of East 2nd Street South for a reported battery. A woman had called the department saying Jonak slapped her in the face.
While en route to the gas station, officers saw Jonak’s Nissan parked at the police station. She was there for questioning about the Nov. 11 collision.
During her interview, Jonak allegedly told police she went to the gas station to confront a woman about an alleged relationship she’d had with Jonak’s husband. She said she carried a tire iron in her hand during the argument.
At one point during the interview, Jonak stood up and began to walk out of the interview room, the affidavit says. One of the officers informed her she was not free to leave, but Jonak attempted to push pass another of the officers.
Officers subdued her and placed her under arrest and took her to Caribou County Jail for booking.
During the interview, other officers spoke with the victim. The victim said she was at work when Jonak approached her from behind, yelling at her. She said Jonak slapped her and threatened to hit her with a tire iron. Jonak, the victim said, threatened her with the tire iron several times before leaving.
Jonak was released from jail the following day after posting a $5,000 bond.
Though Jonak has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
If she is found guilty, Jonak would face more than 10 years in prison.
She is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge David Cousin.