Mountain America Credit Union employee dies during robbery
AMMON, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Bonneville County Sheriff's deputies continue to investigate the robbery incident that took place Thursday evening at the Mountain America Credit Union on 25th E. in Ammon.
At approximately 5 p.m., deputies responded to multiple robbery alarms going off at the credit union followed by calls from the business advising an employee was suffering a medical emergency.
The alarms were tripped when a male subject entered the Credit Union and demanded money from one of the tellers.
Deputies and Idaho Falls Fire arrived at the Credit Union and performed CPR on a 33-year-old male employee who went down due to a medical emergency as the suspect left the building.
Idaho Falls Fire transported the man by ambulance to the hospital, but despite rescue efforts were unable to revive him.
During this time, deputies working with Credit Union staff were quickly able to get a picture and description of the suspect and vehicle involved out to local officers to begin a search.
Deputies determined the suspect vehicle was registered to 31-year-old Matthew J. Stavert of Idaho Falls and an older booking picture of him matched the pictures of the suspect from the Credit Union.
Deputies also determined no weapons were brandished during the robbery.
A short while later, Idaho Falls Police officers and an Idaho State Police trooper located the suspect vehicle at a residence on Merritt Dr. near 16th St. in Idaho Falls. As officers approached, they stopped a separate vehicle leaving the residence and detained two individuals down the street, who were later released after a brief investigation to determine if they were involved in this incident or other criminal activity.
A third male subject, later identified as 22-year-old Kenlee M. McIntire of Idaho Falls, came out of the residence and immediately fled on foot upon seeing officers.
IFPD officers and an Idaho State Police trooper were able to apprehend McIntire a few houses away, locating a small amount of Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia on his person.
McIntire was transported by Officers to the Bonneville County Jail where he was booked on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear at a court hearing, as well as a new felony charge of possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting srrest.
While these individuals were being dealt with, IFPD officers saw Matthew J. Stavert exit the residence and were able to detain him as officers and deputies secured a perimeter around the residence.
The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team was activated while detectives obtained a search warrant and ultimately were able to slowly clear the residence and determine no other potential suspects or threats to the area existed.
From the evidence at the scene and the Credit Union, deputies identified Stavert as the suspect involved in the robbery and he was transported to the Bonneville County Jail.
Stavert was booked for robbery and burglary at that time; however, further potential charges are pending as detectives continue to investigate and piece together the details that unfolded.
"The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office extends our deepest sympathy to family, friends, and co-workers of the Credit Union employee who passed during this incident. The quick action by Credit Union staff working through their protocols and with responding Deputies was a factor in getting pertinent information out to on-duty Law Enforcement in the area that apprehended this suspect in just over an hour. The Bonneville County Sheriff's Office appreciates the good working relationship we have with the Idaho Falls Police Department, Idaho State Police, and other first responder agencies that attributed to the quick apprehension of Stavert and at the same time thwarted further criminal activity by Mr. McIntire and removed more drugs off the street in our community," the sheriff's office said in a press release.
No further information is available at this time.
