Four Arrested Following Pursuit in Kimberly

KIMBERLY, Idaho (KLIX)-Four people were taken into custody Thursday afternoon in Kimberly following a brief high-speed chase prompted by a car theft investigation. According to a court affidavit, Eric Balls, 25, Hailey Leazer, 28, Stephanie Tompkins, 42, Jeff Day, and Nikolas Stevens, 24, were named suspects after a manhunt in a corn field in north Kimberly. The charging documents are linked to the case against Stevens who was charged with misdemeanor resisting or obstructing an arrest. The three others in custody were arrainged Friday afternoon. Balls was charged with felony attempt to elude a police officer and felony receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle. According to the affidavit, a Kimberly Police officer had gotten a report of a stolen Jeep out of Gooding County at a residence in Kimberly on the 500 block of Monroe Street. The officer had the vehicle towed to the police station. The officer was called back to the same home for a report of a Buick that had pulled up and didn't have the correct license plates. The officer attempted to pull the Buick over when it sped off down Main Street, ran a stop sign, nearly struck the chief of police's patrol car that had its lights activated, and hit a top speed of 85 mph through a 35 mph speed zone. The vehicle eventually stopped just after it turned onto State Highway 50 at Red Cap Corner and four people ran into the nearby cornfield. One suspect, Tompkins stayed in the car. After a perimeter was placed around the field with extra law enforcement and searched with police dogs and drones, three suspects were located; Jeff Day was not found in the field. Two suspects allege Eric had been driving the car during the pursuit. A search of the house on Monroe also turned up a white crystal substance that presumptively tested positive for methamphetamine. All four have prior warrants for their arrest.