Man in custody after shooting in downtown Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS — Police have arrested a suspect after a downtown Idaho Falls shooting sent a man to the hospital.
Cristian Sanchez, 23, is charged with felony aggravated battery along with a use of a deadly weapon sentence enhancement. According to charging documents obtained by EastIdahoNews.com, Sanchez allegedly shot the victim on Friday during a fight.
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Officers were called around 11 p.m. to Shoupe Avenue for a report of a gunshot. When they arrived, four witnesses were pointing to a shell casing in the road and they said there had been a fight between two men.
Witnesses report Sanchez and the victim got into a fight over vulgar comments about a woman. The victim reportedly told Sanchez not to talk vulgarly about the woman and Sanchez responded by attacking the victim. The two men threw several punches, according to court documents.
During the fight, witnesses said Sanchez allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim. Sanchez is reported to have said “that was a warning,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
Sanchez and another man ran from the scene while the victim got into a car and was taken to a local hospital.
Investigators uncovered that the man who ran away with Sanchez posted a video on Snapchat saying he was the one who shot the victim, not Sanchez. However, when investigators called the man, he denied ever shooting the victim but hoped he dies from the gunshot wound.
The victim’s condition on Wednesday was not known.
Law enforcement found Sanchez Wednesday morning during an unspecified incident along Interstate 15. He was booked into the Bonneville County Jail and appeared in court Wednesday afternoon where a preliminary hearing was set for Sept. 1.
Although Sanchez is accused of a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.