This Just In...
One of T.F.'s most wanted arrested
12 Twin Falls apartments evacuated
By Andrea Jackson
Times-News writer
Twelve apartments were evacuated Tuesday by Twin Falls law enforcement authorities during a high-risk arrest that took at least four hours.
Twin Falls city and county officers arrested 21-year-old Jacob DeGarmo, at 250 Juniper St., apartment 5, on probation violations stemming from original charges of burglary and eluding an officer, said Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office Spokeswoman Lori Nebeker.
As a security precaution, authorities evacuated the 12 apartments surrounding the one where were they found DeGarmo, one of Twin Falls County's most wanted, Nebeker said.
Police believed DeGarmo could have had weapons, but it was unclear Tuesday night if any were found.
More information may be available today, said Nebeker.
Law enforcement officers first tried calling DeGarmo, but ultimately sent in a police K-9 unit. Nebeker said the incident started at 1:30 p.m. and ended by about 5:45 p.m.
DeGarmo's warrants are about two weeks old, and carry $75,000 bond on each charge, said Nebeker.
Tenants of the evacuated apartments on the corner of Juniper and Shoup streets were allowed to return home after Degarmo was arrested.
DeGarmo, clad in jeans and a black Zoo York T-shirt, was led out of the apartment in handcuffs by more than four officers.
Around 3:30 in the evening I returned home from a meeting and saying hi to Brandon at the school. I just had to run home really quickly to grab a CD and then driver over to Bekah's house. When I pulled into my carport I noticed about 3 cop cars at the end of the lane just a lawn past where I live. About 7-8 officers were outside of this crappy apartment that is not kept up very well and where they have had problems before. I just thought this was a routine thing so I quickly grabbed Sydnee, ran inside, got the CD then came outside. While I was putting Sydnee back into the carseat 3 more cop cars pulled up right beside me so I was completely blocked in. One of the cops told them to move so I could get out, but they didn't so I just sat in the car for a minute or so thinking that maybe they would move. About a minute later the cops told me to get back into my house, stay in there and lock my doors. I was just a little scared by this point because they all started pulling out their guns. So I quickly grabbed Sydnee and my purse (later realizing I forgot the diaper bag, her shoes, and food in the car) and walked very swiftly into the house. While I walked up to my house two officers with vests and rifles stood right in front of me and my door. Sydnee started to get scared and so did I, but atleast I didn't start to cry. The one officer said for me to go a head and get into the house I said that I lived right behind where they were standing so the moved, but while they moved one said to the other "Is there more of a technical way for use to approach this rather than walking right in front of these people's home." By that time Sydnee had tears streaming down her cute little face, she knew something was wrong.
After a little while of me pacing the downstairs, calling people/neighbors, and opening up the blinds so I could see what the heck was happening outside of my safe haven (or so I thought), I get a knock on the door and there stood two big burly officers with gun and vests asking me to evacuate my home. I said I couldn't becuase they were blocking my car. He said "oh well do you have anybody that could come and get you?" I said my husband is in class and Sydnee's carseat was in the car. So he told me to stay in the house, lock my doors, close the blinds, and stay away from the windows. He told me that they have a situation where a wanted man could be in that apartment and he was said to be armed. Yeah that was exactly what I wanted to hear. So after hearing this very scary news I called my friend and neighbor to tell her that they can't come home becuase by this time they had this whole street barracked off so no one could come down or out of this lane. Her husband had to get to work, and he needed his clothes from the house, and she said that an officer was going to escort him through the back of his house so he could grab clothes and she told me that he could get a carseat for Sydnee that they had in the shed and they would come pick me up. Well by that time the officers were no where to be seen in the front so I pocked my head out the back and said "um excuse me..cops?" Yeah that actually came out of my mouth, for a split second there I chuckled at myself and felt like a three year old for saying that. But I think I had a good excuse becuase I was just alittle scared by this time. Anyway and officer escorted me out to where an ambulance was and 5 or more cop cars were lined up.
They told me to get behind the big truck and wait for my friend to come and get me. While I waited there an officer started asking me questions. I told him some information of what I saw earlier that day and then all of a sudden they were writing down my info, about where I lived, my full name, date of birth. And then they started showing me pictures of the wanted man to see if I recognized him and I thought I did. Then they started showing me cars that he could be driving. During all this time the officers were very nice to me and Sydnee and Syd wasn't as scared becuase there was a very cute K-9 dog with the officer asking me questions that Sydnee want so badly to pet, but I didn't think that was a great idea since that dog has been trained to kill. But for a small glance at that dog he looked like he was smiling at Sydnee it was so cute. So anyway I gave them the info that knew and then they said that I was free to go.
Sorry for the very detailed story, but I thought since it is all true that I have every right to share with all of you, my faithful readers, this scary story that I thought would never happen in this very cute somewhat calm neighborhood of mine. I will never forget this day. Now that I look back at it I laugh, but yesterday was no laughing matter. :o)
5 years ago
