Blackfoot woman charged for role in robberies with suspect who reportedly shot deputy
BLACKFOOT, Idaho – A Blackfoot woman who reportedly helped the man who shot a Bingham County Sheriff’s Office deputy last week was charged Monday.
A Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office report states Denise Lynn Williams, 25, helped a man commit robbery at the Panda Express in Ammon on Sept. 15. Sgt. Bryan Lovell confirmed Williams helped Juan Santos-Quintero, 22. Santos-Quintero is a suspect in the same robberies, as well as Friday’s shooting of Bingham County Sheriff’s Sgt. Todd Howell.
A Bingham County man reported his 1998 Ford Expedition was missing on Sept. 14 after he lent it to a friend, according to the report. The friend told law enforcement she had used the car for a few days, then left it parked on the side of the road for the owner to pick up. Williams and Santos-Quintero were later seen driving the missing car at the scene of the robberies.
The Sheriff’s Office responded to Panda Express on Sept. 15 after two men reported they had been robbed. One of the victims said the man, suspected to be Santos-Quintero, punched him in the face multiple times and hit him with a handgun before forcefully taking $102 from him. The woman, identified as Williams, grabbed the second victim and forcefully took two bags from him. The incident was captured on surveillance footage.
Williams also was seen as a passenger in the Ford Expedition on Sept. 16 after a robbery committed at the Common Cents convenience store on Broadway Street. The vehicle was found abandoned on Sept. 17 with some of the stolen items from the Panda Express robbery. Williams was arrested Friday in Firth, but was not involved with the standoff between Santos-Quintero and law enforcement.
Williams was charged with two counts of robbery, each punishable with a minimum of five years in prison and up to a life sentence. Her bond was set at $50,000. Santos-Quintero was arrested Friday and is expected to be charged in both Bonneville and Bingham counties.
A preliminary hearing for Williams is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 5 in Bonneville County Courthouse.