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19-year-old Nampa man arrested in connection with Kuna Butte bonfire fight

State of 208: Kuna growing pains
Kuna
Posted at 1:45 PM, Feb 12, 2024
and last updated 2024-02-15 15:42:31-05

KUNA, Idaho — Update:

Christopher R. Smith is charged with aggravated battery in connection with a fight last Friday that left one man hospitalized with a significant head injury.

Deputies have been looking for up to three men in connection with the fight, which occurred around 11 p.m. Friday at Kuna Butte, a popular off-road area near the Kuna Cave/Swan Falls roads area in south Ada County.

Investigators got a tip Wednesday night identifying Smith as the person who hit the man over the head with a bottle. They tracked Smith down Thursday morning, interviewed him and arrested him.

Smith is being held in the Ada County Jail without bond. He is expected to make his initial court appearance Friday afternoon.

Deputies began their investigation late Friday night, where they met the injured man and one of his friends in a car parked off the side of Swan Falls Road.

The pair had just left the party and called 911.

The 25-year-old man was bleeding from the head and had visible injuries. Paramedics arrived moments later and took him to a local hospital for treatment.

Deputies then went to the bonfire and talked to several people there.

Several witnesses told deputies a version of the same story: The man got into some kind of altercation with a woman at the bonfire, at which point a group of men then attacked the man, hitting him over the head with a bottle and then kicking and punching him while he was on the ground.

Deputies have since developed several leads and are actively looking for the other men who participated with Smith in the attack.

Original Story:

Deputies with the Ada County Sheriff's Office are investigating a report of a fight that happened on Feb. 9 at Kuna Butte, and off-road area near Kuna Cave/Swam Falls roads.

The fight happened around 11:30 p.m. after one man got into an altercation with 3 other men at a bonfire in the popular off-road area. The three men hit the victim over the head with a bottle and, according to reports, kicked and punched the man while he was knocked to the ground.

The fight left the victim hospitalized with a significant head injury. according to the ACSO, the 25-year-old victim was bleeding from the head and had significant visible injuries. He was quickly transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The ACSO is asking anyone with information to call Ada County dispatch at (208) 377-6790 or send an email to Det. Neil Daigle at ndaigle@adacounty.id.gov.