ADA COUNTY, Idaho — A suspect, who the Valley County Sheriff's Office says was involved in a shooting in Donnelly, is now in Ada County custody after being apprehended by officers with the Eagle Police Department.
According to a joint news release from the Valley County and Ada County Sheriff's Offices, 38-year-old Jose Mendoza is alleged to have shot an adult in the 300 block of Halferty Street in Donnelly on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at approximately 8:45 p.m.
The victim in the shooting was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The Valley County Sheriff's Office says the victim and suspect knew one another. Additionally, police believe the suspect "also pointed a gun at a juvenile in the house" before fleeing the scene in his truck. Deputies arrived after Mendoza left.
The news release indicates that Mendoza's truck later slid off Highway 55 near the Rainbow Bridge, and the suspect hitched a ride from a passerby.
According to the sheriff's office, he ultimately traveled all the way to Eagle, where Ada County Dispatch received a report of a suspicious person who matched Mendoza's description in the area of N. Horshoe Bend and W. State St.
Eagle and Garden City Police responded and ultimately arrested the suspect.
Jose Mendoza was later booked into the Ada County Jail and charged with aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, both felonies. Those charges have since been updated to include Use of a Deadly Weapon in Commission of a Felony.
The release from Valley County also states that Mendzoa has been "placed on a federal hold." Idaho News 6 reached out to the Valley County Sheriff's Office for clarification on the reason behind the federal hold, but they declined to comment.
The case remains under investigation as Mendoza awaits extradition to Valley County.
