Aberdeen man allegedly shoves passenger from car during police chase

POCATELLO — A man fled arrest and pushed his passenger from the car, police say. Now he’s facing felony charges.

Salvador Tayson Serna, 24, of Aberdeen, has been charged with robbery and eluding an officer, court records show.

Nov. 17

While patrolling on North Main Street around 11:15 p.m., a Pocatello Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a Hyundai Genesis for “excessive speed,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.

After identifying the driver of the vehicle as Serna, the officer learned of a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest. When the officer asked Serna to exit the vehicle, he instead locked his doors and drove away, the affidavit says.

Officers made several attempts to stop the Hyundai before it left, including deploying a spike strip. The car dragged the spike strip away.

According to police reports, there was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the stop. After the pursuit began, she fell from the car and landed on her head.

The initial officer involved stayed with the passenger while other officers pursued Serna.

EMS were called to the scene and treated the passenger but determined she did not require transport to the hospital, though they did recommend she seek further examination.

While talking with the passenger, officers learned that she was the owner of the vehicle. She told officers she had financial transaction card, medical card, identification cards and medications for her child in the Hyundai.

The passenger also told officers that Serna told her he was going to flee when the officer first tried to stop him, but that she talked him out of it. She said Serna told her he would kill her if she told the officer who he was.

The officers discontinued the pursuit soon after it began. While searching the area for the Hyundai, they found the spike strip near the intersection of West Carson Street and Riverside Drive. It was damaged beyond the point of being usable, the affidavit says.

Nov. 21

Detectives spoke with the passenger in hopes of getting information regarding Serna’s whereabouts.

The victim told officers she did not know where he lived, because she had only recently met him. However, she said she had previously picked him up near the intersection of Maple and Roosevelt streets.

She also told officers she believed Serna had taken Xanax the night of the incident and that he had “physically pushed” her out of the vehicle when he began to drive away.

During their conversation, officers asked the victim about the state of her vehicle, which was back in her possession. She allegedly said there was damage that had not been there when Serna drove away in the vehicle.

Serna was taken into police custody on Dec. 12. Details of his arrest are not included in police reports.

He is being held at Bannock County Jail on a $75,000 bond.

Though Serna 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, Serna would face up to life in prison.

He is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing before Magistrate Judge Scott Axline.