Jacob Schmidt arrested in theft
FORT HALL — Jacob Schmidt was arrested November 4 in Arbon Valley and is facing charges for Illegal Possession of Property and Theft in Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Court.
Fort Hall Police Captain Mark Massey said FHPD Dispatch received a call from residence in Arbon Valley of a male individual attempting to get into a truck and then attempting to take a trailer with a snowmobile on it. While a tribal police officer was enroute, the reporting party advised dispatch the suspect left and drove south on Arbon Valley Road in a white pickup truck.
FHPD received a call from a second homeowner in Arbon Valley reporting a male individual outside looking in vehicles on their property. FHPD Officers searched the Bannock Creek District for the suspect, but was unable to locate him. About two hours later Power County advised they were in pursuit of a stolen truck matching the description of the white truck from the earlier calls.
When the tribal officer arrived on scene, the driver and only occupant of the stolen truck, was identified as Schmidt. He had been tased by a Power County officer and sitting on the side of the road. Officers recovered a chainsaw from the bed of the stolen truck, which belonged to the original reporting caller.
On November 1, the FHPD responded to a report of an individual laying on the side of the road near the cellars in the area of Ross Ford Road and Sands Road. FHPD made contact with an adult Native American male who had appeared to have been assaulted. The individual was transported to the hospital with minor injuries and the incident is currently under investigation. Suspects have been identified and interviewed, and the case forwarded to the Tribal Prosecutors Office.
Massey said in the past six weeks, the FHPD has recovered 14 vehicles that were reported stolen from surrounding communities including Chubbuck, Pocatello and Idaho Falls. He said unfortunately people are leaving keys in their vehicle while it’s running that makes it easy for someone to drive off with it.
