Two accused of barging into house with guns and assaulting sleeping man
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SUGAR CITY — Two local men were arrested after allegedly bursting into a Sugar City home with guns because they believed a woman had been raped.
A man told Madison County Sheriff detectives he lived in a trailer home on West 3rd South with two other friends. According to an affidavit of probable cause, Jake White, 19, and Spencer Tew, 18, allegedly pulled that man out of his bed on the morning of Feb. 7 and pointed a gun at him.
The man told detectives he had picked up a Brigham Young University-Idaho student who was reportedly high on pills and brought her back to his place. The man said shortly after picking up the student, Tew allegedly texted that “he better watch his back or something bad was going to happen to him,” according to court documents.
The man took the woman to his house and they both fell asleep. The man told officers he remembers waking up to White and Tew pulling him out of bed and dragging him into the living room. Once there, the man said the pair told him to get on his knees and asked if he was ready to die. Tew is alleged to have then cocked the gun while putting it to the man’s head.
One of the men reportedly wore a red bandana around his face.
A 12-year-old was staying the night at the trailer and went back to wake up the other roommates. The roommates tried to calm the intruders and Tew and White eventually left the house. No one called 911 and the roommates went back to bed, according to court documents.
When asked what would have provoked the attack, the man and witnesses said White and Tew believed the man had raped the woman and there was video of the alleged sexual assault. Those involved reportedly knew the woman from parties and said Tew and White had supplied her with pills.
A witness told detectives the woman had texted him and told him she had not been raped. She said she had nothing to do with the alleged attack.
Tew allegedly admitted to assaulting the man with White, according to court documents.
Both Tew and White were arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault. Both are scheduled for District Court arraignments on Feb. 22 where they are expected to enter pleas.
Although Tew and White are charged with crimes it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, both could be ordered to spend up to five years in prison.
CORRECTION: A previous version mentioned the woman texted one of the alleged intruders while she actually texted a witness. EastIdahoNews.com has corrected this and apologizes for the error.