Woman charged for allegedly giving gun to gang member before Econo Lodge officer-involved shooting
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IDAHO FALLS — A 33-year-old woman was recently charged with allegedly supplying a gun to a gang member before an officer-involved shooting in 2024.
Carlee Nicole Pina is charged with two counts of felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of supplying firearms to a criminal gang.
On April 8, 2024, a man identified as Robert Flores allegedly “barricaded himself in a hotel room at the Econo Lodge located at 1448 West Broadway Street,” according to court documents.
EastIdahoNews.com covered this incident extensively, and you can read more about it here.
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The hotel had called Idaho Falls Police to report that a man, identified as Flores, and a woman, later identified as Pina, had stayed past checkout and refused to leave. Police later learned that Pina was not in the hotel room during the incident.
Because of two previous significant police responses involving Flores in the past five months, officers reportedly “took extra precautions, including bringing a ballistic shield to the room and responding with multiple officers.”
Police opened the door and kicked it to break the chain lock. Officers tried again to communicate with them, but there was no response.
According to the release, officers believed the two were in the bathroom. An Idaho Falls Police K9 handler yelled warnings that if the people did not come out, the dog would be sent in, and they would get bitten.
At that point, a gunshot was fired from inside the bathroom.
“Three Idaho Falls Police officers were trapped inside the hotel room, unable to get safely past the bathroom and into the hallway,” according to the release.
One of the three officers inside the room had a ballistic shield, and all three officers attempted to get behind it. Flores then allegedly reached out of the bathroom door with a gun and fired again at the officers. Eventually a flashbang grenade was used, and Flores was taken into custody.
No officers were shot, according to IFPD spokeswoman Jessica Clements.
Flores is a convicted felon and according to court documents, also a “well-known documented gang member.” Court records also say he has been known as the “leader of the gang.”
Flores was charged with six felony counts of assault or battery upon certain personnel, one county of felony unlawful posession of a firearm by a convicted felon, six felony enhancements for the use od a deadly weapon, one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing officers, and one misdemeanor count of failure to depart.
He is scheduled to appear for a jury trial on Sept. 29.
Pina’s alleged involvement
Court documents also say Pina is known to associate with many known gang members.
On April 8, court documents say Pina was recorded having a jail conversation with another known gang member, where they talked about the incident.
The gang member reportedly asks, “So why did all this sh*** happen?” and Pina responds, “I don’t know why. Because I gave it t… I don’t know.”
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The two hang up and then begin a video call. Pina states that Flores asked for a ride, so she picked him up, and they went to eat food. They then met with other friends and reportedly discussed “‘it’ not getting there fast enough.” Court documents do not say what they are referring to.
Eventually, Pina says that a man, believed to be Flores, “asked if he could borrow my thing, and I was like yeah sure, I was going to ask him about it, like, you know what I mean, for how long and whatever, but anyways, so I let him borrow it. And this is what he does with it.”
According to court documents, the “thing” Pina is referring to is “a firearm, specifically a .22 caliber black Glock 44.”
During a later interview with detectives, Pina stated Flores had come to her home, saw her gun on a shelf, and stated “something to the effect of ‘I need that and don’t ask no questions.'”
Pina said she “loaded the Glock from a case of ammunition she had” and handed the loaded gun to Flores with another case of ammunition.
When asked why she did that, Pina reportedly stated she did not anticipate getting the gun back because “that’s just what tweakers do.”
Pina then said she, Flores, and another woman went to the Econo Lodge. The two eventually fell asleep, and the third woman left.
According to court documents, Pina got up early the next morning to go to McDonald’s and did not return to the hotel. Pina told police that their checkout time was 11 a.m. but that she “assumed that (Flores) requested a late checkout due to him staying in the room.”
Pina stated she got a phone call from Flores at 10:30 a.m. but said she “could not understand what (Flores) was saying” and that it “sounded like he was in distress.”
Court documents say Pina did not call Flores back, or go to the hotel to check on him.
Pina told deputies she later learned on the news that an officer-involved shooting had occurred at the Econo Lodge and “believed that (Flores) was involved, given the fact that she had just provided him with a gun.”
A warrant for Pina’s arrest was issued on Dec. 31 and served on March 3. She is expected to appear for a status conference on May 20. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison.
Though Pina has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean she committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.