Chubbuck accused of swinging ax at neighbor

POCATELLO — A woman police say swung an ax at her neighbor has been charged with a felony.

Yolanda Alice Rodriguez, 59, of Chubbuck, faces one felony count of aggravated assault.

Chubbuck Police officers responded to reports of a disturbance at a home on Adams Street around 11 p.m. Dec. 15, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The caller told police Rodriguez threatened her with an ax.

When officers arrived at the home, they spoke with the victim and a witness, who said Rodriguez, a neighbor, had been yelling and swinging a pipe around throughout the day.

The victim told officers that she had just put her baby to sleep when Rodriguez began yelling again. So, she opened her front door and asked Rodriguez to be quiet. The victim told police Rodriguez came at her holding an ax and said, “I’m going to kill you,” then swung the ax at the victim two times, the affidavit says.

Rodriguez stood outside the victim’s home yelling and telling the victim to come outside and “see what will happen,” according to the affidavit.

The victim told police Rodriguez had been loud and threatening in the past but that it had gotten worse recently. She said she was concerned for her safety and the safety of her child.

Officers went to Rodriguez’s home to speak with her. According to the affidavit, officers knocked on the door and asked Rodriguez to come out and speak with them. But she yelled back that the officers were not actually officers and refused to answer the door, according to court documents.

After several failed attempts to have her come outside, officers decided to wait for Rodriguez to come out on her own.

Eventually, Rodriguez did come outside to smoke a cigarette. Using a ballistic shield, officers approached Rodriguez with guns drawn. They placed her under arrest without incident and did not find any weapons on her.

Rodriguez refused to speak with officers and did not consent to a search, so officers took Rodriguez to Bannock County Jail and requested a warrant to search the home for the ax.

After obtaining a warrant, officers searched Rodriguez’s home but were unable to find an ax or similar weapon. Police reports do not indicate if an ax or ax-type weapon was ever located.

Rodriguez is being in Bannock County Jail held on a $20,000 bond.

Though Rodriguez has been charged with this crime, it does not necessarily mean she committed it. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If convicted, Rodriguez would face up to five years in prison.

A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled as Rodriguez is being held for competency evaluation. Her review hearing is set for Jan. 17.