Fort Hall man charged after police say he stabbed another man ‘at least a dozen times’

POCATELLO — A local man accused of stabbing his friend claims an unknown assailant attacked them.

Ryder Slade Menta, 29, has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, court records show after he allegedly stabbed another man “at least a dozen times.”

Dec. 26, 2022

Bannock County Sheriff’s deputies received a call reporting a stabbing around 11 p.m. on Dec. 26, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Upon arriving at Portneuf Medical Center, deputies learned that the victim had been stabbed multiple times and was being prepped for surgery.

Deputies spoke with Menta, who was also at the hospital. In police reports, Menta is described as having “a vast amount of blood on his clothes, from his shirt all the way down to his shoes.”

Deputies asked if Menta was hurt and if he had been seen by medical staff yet. Menta said he suffered only a minor cut, described as being about an inch long, on his left hand.

He told deputies that he and the victim went to Lava Hot Springs around 8:30 p.m. to soak in the hot pools.

Menta said that shortly after arriving, he and the victim were involved in an altercation with a group of men who were upset he and the victim got into the hot pools for free. He then said that he was involved in a separate altercation with the victim over a girl.

However, he told police, the two made amends and returned to their car.

Once inside the car, Menta said he and the victim shared some alcohol. He then said the victim asked Menta to roll the victim’s window down so the victim could smoke a cigar. Menta told police that shortly after he rolled the window down, someone reached in through the window and began stabbing the victim.

“It was quick, like one, two, three, and (I) reached over to grab (the victim) and felt (my) hand get nicked by something,” Menta is quoted as saying in the affidavit.

Menta said he fled the area. Shortly thereafter, he realized the victim was bleeding and drove to Portneuf Medical Center.

Pocatello police officers, who were also on the scene, ran Menta’s information and discovered a warrant for his arrest. Menta was taken into custody for the warrant.

While waiting on a search warrant for Menta’s car, deputies found a bloody razor blade near the driver’s side door of the car. Once a search warrant was obtained, deputies allegedly found another four knives and cutting implements.

Dec. 27, 2022

Deputies returned to the jail to conduct an interview with Menta.

During the interview, deputies informed Menta that a search of the car yielded no alcohol containers. Nor were deputies able to find wet clothes or towels from the hot pools.

Deputies told Menta that because the victim had suffered stab wounds only to his left side, they believed Menta stabbed the victim.

Menta denied the deputy’s version of the story and insisted the victim had been stabbed by an unknown man through the passenger side window.

Deputies were contacted by someone at the Lava hot pools, who said they had reviewed footage from the night of the incident and could not find any video of the attack Menta described.

Dec. 28, 2022

Deputies were contacted by Portneuf Medical Center staff and informed that the victim was able to speak.

At the hospital, the victim, who officers noted was limited in his ability to communicate, told deputies that Menta stabbed him somewhere off Portneuf Road.

Deputies returned to the jail to speak with Menta again.

Asked once again what happened, Menta was adamant about his original story being factual. Deputies informed Menta that they had sufficient evidence to arrest him for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon enhancement, and he was placed under arrest.

He is currently being held on a $75,000 bond.

Though Menta has been charged with a crime, it does not necessarily mean he committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, Menta could face up to 15 years in prison.

He is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge David Hooste on Jan. 11.