Pocatello man allegedly involved in 3 high-speed chases in 3 months faces multiple charges

POCATELLO — A man police say was involved in three police chases between March and June has been charged with five felonies and six misdemeanors.

Bret Harold Charlton, 61, faces four felony charges for eluding officers and another for possession of a controlled substance, court records show. He has also been charged with several misdemeanors, including petit theft, failure to stop or report an accident and possession of an open alcoholic container in a motor vehicle, among others.

March 13

Pocatello police were dispatched to a gas station on Yellowstone Avenue just after 7 p.m. for a welfare check, according to an affidavit of probable cause. A 911 caller reported a man who had passed out inside a vehicle at the station.

When officers arrived, they found a silver Chevrolet Malibu parked by a dumpster near the gas station. They found a man inside the running vehicle with an open alcohol container in his lap, the affidavit says.

Officers got the driver’s attention and asked him to step out of the vehicle. Instead, the man started the car and “took off at a high rate of speed,” making a quick turn into an alley.

Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle continued driving recklessly, including running a stop sign at the corner of Walnut Street and Yellowstone Avenue, almost hitting another vehicle.

The Malibu continued its reckless driving, running a red light.

Officers continued to follow the Malibu at speeds up to 80 mph.

For the sake of safety, officers decided to discontinue their pursuit.

At the time they stopped the chase, officers hadn’t identified the driver of the Malibu.

While some officers pursued the vehicle, other officers stayed at the gas station to speak with the caller who reported the man. The caller, an employee of the gas station, reported selling the driver a single alcoholic beverage about one hour prior to officers’ arrival.

The following day, the gas station’s manager gave law enforcement the video surveillance showing the man purchasing his beverage.

March 23

A Pocatello police patrol officer attempted a traffic stop on a silver Malibu. The officer believed it was the vehicle that had been involved in the chase 10 days prior. The officer watched as the driver sat at a stop sign for an extended period of time. According to the affidavit, the driver, later identified as Charlton, made eye contact with the officer.

Again, Charlton sped away. And again, the pursuit was called off when officers decided it was unsafe to continue.

Prior to ending the pursuit, officers noted that the Malibu reached speeds of up to 70 mph while traveling through the Idaho State University campus. It also reportedly ran red lights.

Officers went to the address linked to the license plate on the Malibu and learned that the plate belonged to another vehicle. The owner of the other vehicle told officer they did not know their plates had been removed.

June 9

Upon learning of a police pursuit involving multiple agencies and a silver Malibu, Pocatello officers compared a photo of the Malibu’s registered owner to the surveillance footage from the gas station and positively matched them. The driver was identified as Charlton, the owner of the Malibu, who was also confirmed to be the driver of the Malibu in the second chase.

Charlton was arrested several days later and taken to Bannock County Jail for booking. He is being held on separate bonds of $50,000 and $100,000.

Though Charlton has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, Charlton could face 90 years in prison.

He is scheduled to appear in court before magistrate judge Paul Laggis for a preliminary hearing on June 22.