Aberdeen man charged for alleged attack, robbery that left two injured

POCATELLO — A man police say was one of more than 10 males who attacked and robbed two men in August has been charged with multiple felonies.

Salvador Tayson Serna, 24, faces one count of burglary and two counts of principal to robbery, court records show.

Aug. 3

Pocatello police received a call from a man claiming he had been assaulted and had property taken from him, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The victim said he and another man left a Pocatello bar around 3 a.m. and were waiting for an Uber. As they were waiting for the ride by a nearby storage facility, the man told police, four cars stopped near them and 11 or 12 males exited the vehicles. The males “immediately” “jumped” the two men.

The caller told police four of the males were beating him up while the others were attacking his friend. He said, at one point he was able to get up and tried to run away, but the males caught him and beat him up more.

After the attack, when he discovered his ear was bleeding, the man told the officers, he went to the hospital for treatment. He was diagnosed with a concussion, a ruptured eardrum and a hematoma above the left ear, the affidavit says.

During the attack, the man told police, the attackers took a gold chain, a gold bracelet and a cell phone from him.

He said he did not recognize any of the attackers and did not wish to pursue any criminal charges, he only wanted to recover his property. When officers spoke with the second victim, he said the same thing.

The second victim

After officers spoke with the first victim, they learned the second victim called the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office to report the same incident. The second victim reported a gold, diamond, ruby ring that had been taken from him during the attack.

Officers spoke with a Fred Meyer jewelry employee, who said a man came into the store to ask about the authenticity of a ring matching one the one reported stolen during the attack. The woman described the man as having two neck tattoos.

Pocatello officers called the second victim and learned he was at a local pawn shop attempting to recover his ring, which had been pawned. He said the attackers had also taken his shoes and his watch.

Officers went to the pawn shop and found a ring matching a description provided by both victims. They learned Serna was the person who had pawned the ring. An employee at the pawn shop told officers Serna had attempted to pawn a watch while he was there with the ring, but a deal could not be reached.

Pawn shop employees provided officers photos of the man involved in the transaction.

Serna

Officers learned Serna was on misdemeanor probation for multiple 2022 charges and contacted his probation officer.

The probation officer told investigating officers Serna had been at a probation meeting earlier the same day and was wearing a ring matching one taken during the attack. The probation officer said Serna was asked about the ring and said it was a gift from an older man gave him for being nice.

Oct. 24

While fulfilling an unrelated search warrant on the SnapChat account of a juvenile, officers found videos of what appeared to be a robbery and believed they would be of interest to the Street Crimes Unit.

Officers reviewed one of the videos, and saw the Aug. 3 attack. According to the affidavit, one of the attackers was seen throwing a rock at the first victim, who dropped to the ground upon being hit.

Though faces were not show in the video, officers used tattoos and other distinguishing marks to identify at least one of the attackers. They were also able to identify Serna as one of the attackers, comparing the clothing he was wearing during the attack to the clothing he was wearing in the pawn shop video.

The videos show multiple males hitting the two victims numerous times and continuing to hit them while they were on the ground. The attackers can also be seen taking items from the two victims before returning to their cars.

After the attackers were seen taking items from the victims in the video, the person recording the video can be heard saying “f*** you” to the second victim. He then kicks the man in the head and “knocked him out completely,” the affidavit says.

Oct. 26

Officers spoke with the juvenile they believed to be the one who recorded the videos. They asked the boy about the attack, but he refused to answer any questions. He was arrested and taken to the Bannock County Juvenile Detention Center.

Serna was arrested on Dec. 12 and charged with crimes related to the Aug. 3 attack and a November high-speed chase near downtown Pocatello.

The second adult identified in the video has not yet been charged with any crime related to the attack.

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, he would face up to life in prison.

A preliminary hearing has been waived and the charges have been bound over to District Court. Serna has been released on his own recognizance.