Man arrested after reportedly attacking another man with baseball bat

IDAHO FALLS — One man was arrested and charged with a felony after allegedly attacking another man in his apartment building.

Lance Jonathan Broncho, 22, was charged with one count of aggravated battery.

On Nov. 15, Idaho Falls Police responded to an address in Idaho Falls for a report of a man who had been hit by another man with a baseball bat, according to court documents.

When officers arrived, the victim stated that three or four men entered the stairway to his basement apartment and called his name. The suspect reportedly claimed to be police and told the victim to come out and talk with them.

When he got to the top of the stairwell, the victim said he saw “one male in a dark hoodie and hat with a blue or black bandana over his face and a backpack standing in front of the door.”

The victim said two or three other men were standing there as well.

One of the men reportedly asked the victim “if he wanted to die” and “acted like he was going to pull out a gun,” according to police reports.

The man allegedly told the victim to “stay quiet if he didn’t want to die.”

The victim told police that the men then swung a baseball bat and hit him on the left side of his head. He told officers he believed the baseball bat was aluminum and black, with possibly gold on it.

The victim said he then ran to his upstairs neighbor’s apartment door and began “pounding on it for help.” The door was unlocked, so he went inside and locked the door behind him to get away from the alleged attackers.

When officers went to the neighbor’s apartment, they reportedly noticed “there was a bloody spot from (the victim’s hand).”

Court documents say that soon after, officers pulled over a car in the parking lot of the Greenbelt near Memorial and D Street, after noticing that the occupant’s descriptions matched that of the suspect.

The car was a 1989 Chevrolet SUV, and officers reported they found a baseball bat in the storage compartment and a backpack in the car. In the backpack, they found drug paraphernalia, a makeshift pipe and a “small baggie that contained a few small greenish-brown flakes that appeared to be marijuana residue or shake.”

Also inside the backpack was a letter addressed to Broncho and a cell phone.

During a search of Bronco’s person, officers also reportedly found a glass pipe with burnt residue in his pocket.

The officer sent a photo to another officer who was with the victim. They were able to confirm with the victim that he “thought it could be the bat from the incident.”

Officers asked the victim if he recognized any of the passengers. He said he recognized the one with the aluminum bat as his old roommate, but said they hadn’t talked in two months and were on good terms “as far as he knew.”

The four people in the car were interviewed, including Broncho, the driver, an unidentified minor and the roommate.

The driver reportedly said that one of the passengers, Broncho, was carrying a wooden bat, wearing a black hoodie with a bandana tied around his neck, a black hat and a backpack.

He also admitted that he “normally carried a bandana” according to court documents. Officers said he was also wearing a black hoodie and a hat.

The roommate denied involvement and said he was only in the area to pick up Broncho.

The minor passenger reportedly “changed his story several times but denied any knowledge of the incident.”

Broncho told officers he had been walking in the neighborhood and called the car’s driver for a ride. He then denied knowing or being involved in the fight.

Through more investigation, officers determined that Broncho had been seated in the front passenger seat of the car. In front of that seat, there was a black bandana. The aluminum bat was found behind that seat.

Broncho then told officers the backpack found in the car containing drug paraphernalia was his.

Broncho was arrested and taken to the Bonneville County Jail, where he was booked with a bond of $25,000. A no-contact order was issued for the victim. Broncho is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 29.

If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

The roommate was charged with felony accessory, but according to Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Randy Neal, the charges were dropped.

The unidentified minor was transported to the 3B detention center, but exact charges are not available.

The driver of the car was charged with an infraction for driving without privileges after officers discovered he had a suspended license and an active misdemeanor Bingham County warrant for his arrest.

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