Prelim set for man accused of stealing VHS camcorder, other items in 1994

OVID — A man who was charged with two felony counts of burglary in 1994 was released and had a warrant issued for his arrest when he did not appear in court.

The warrant was returned served in 2007, but Bryan Caldwell was again released and again failed to appear in court. A second warrant was issued and was not returned served until March 11, court records show.

Caldwell told EastIdahoNews.com that his failure to appear in court was due to his imprisonment in Utah, then Wyoming.

As he explained, Caldwell was arrested in Evanston, Wyoming following a police chase from Utah, where he was suspected of burglarizing homes. He was taken back to Utah and served a prison sentence, while never being informed of charges in Idaho. Upon release in Utah, he served an additional prison sentence in Wyoming — again, never learning of the Idaho charges.

He never learned of the Idaho charges until 2007, when he was pulled over in Wyoming for speeding.

Caldwell was brought back to Idaho, where he was arraigned then released on his own recognizance. He told EastIdahoNews.com that the judge informed him his court-appointed public defender would contact him regarding charges, but he was never contacted and did not learn of withstanding charges until he was again pulled over for speeding earlier this year.

“At any point in time, the public defender, the prosecutor even, could have gotten ahold of me. I was never on the run,” he said. “Had I known about it back then, I would have addressed it.”

Caldwell, now a 49-year-old business owner and father, said he was a “stupid” “18-year-old kid” when the crimes occurred.

“I’m a totally different person now,” he added. “I was a s***ty kid, I made a lot of mistakes. I absolutely did burglarize places in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. I’ve also served prison time in two states right after it happened. Since then, I’ve changed my life — I have seven kids, I adopted two of those children, I run a business. I’m not that person.”

He posted a $2,000 bond following his latest arrest, when he appeared in court for arraignment before Magistrate Judge R. Todd Garbett.

The crimes unfolded on March 21, 1994, when Bear Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a burglary in Bloomington, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The victim told deputies someone had broken into her home and taken items from her bedroom — though none of the other rooms in the house appeared to have been touched.

Police reports describe the bedroom as being in a state of “total disarray.”

The bedroom door was missing and appeared to have been pulled from the door frame — its screws were left on the floor. Jewelry and clothes were scattered on the floor and bed, the affidavit says.

Items had been dumped from a headboard cupboard and a water bed in the room was leaking. Deputies discovered seven punctures to the water bed bladder. A knife deputies deduced was used to cut the water bed was left behind — and had been moved from the bed to a table by the victim before deputies arrived.

There were items in the room, including a rifle, which were not disturbed, according to the affidavit.

The victim told deputies that four rings — two gold, one diamond and one shrimp — had been taken.

Deputies were unable to find any latent fingerprints, noting in police reports that they believed the burglar had wiped their fingerprints.

The deputies did however find footprints in mud leading from the home to tire prints, also found in mud. While searching the scene, deputies learned that other deputies from their office were investigating a separate local burglary.

Deputies also learned simultaneously that deputies from Rich County, Utah were pursuing a man suspected of break-ins there. Law enforcement eventually stopped him near Evanston. Deputies from the first burglary informed the outside agencies of the items taken from the home — some of which Caldwell, the driver, had.

Bear Lake deputies went to Evanston to compare the footprints collected at the scene to those of Caldwell’s shoes. It was determined the prints and shoe soles matched, according to the affidavit.

While there, deputies searched items recovered following Caldwell’s arrest.

Among those items were the rings reported missing by the first victim. There were also three handguns, a Sharp Slimcam VHS Camcorder, a 1962 Fielding High School class ring and a silver dollar in a plastic case — all items reported stolen from the second Idaho break-in.

Deputies attempted to interview Caldwell, but were informed that he had requested an attorney and was advised not to speak with officers.

If he is found guilty, Caldwell could face up to 20 years in prison.

He is expected to appear before Garbett for a preliminary hearing on April 10.

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

CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated with information from the defendant, Bryan Caldwell.