TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Court documents obtained by KTVB reveal how suspected accomplice Tonia Huber was arrested on March 21 for her alleged role in harboring fugitive Skylar Meade, after he and Nicholas Umphenour were involved in an escape and shooting at Saint Alphonsus hospital March 20.
According to Huber's arrest affidavit, FBI agent Christopher Sheehan was surveilling two homes in Filer, Idaho – Huber's house at 320 North Street and another house at 402 Huddleston Road. Around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sheehan said one suspect left the area in a stolen vehicle and he began a pursuit.
However, the officer said he was behind another vehicle, a silver Chevy Silverado, when he started the pursuit and noticed a bald male in the passenger seat of the pickup.
"The male was ducking down in efforts to not be seen. Agent Sheehan said he recognized him to be an escaped prisoner and second homicide suspect, Skylar Meade," the document stated. However, it should be noted that Idaho State Police (ISP) have not called the men homicide suspects or charged them at this time.
Agent Sheehan stated he then began to pursue the pickup. The driver would not stop and Sheehan said the truck was driving an estimated 100 mph. The affidavit states the chase went from Filer to Twin Falls, where the pickup eventually entered into a Walmart parking lot and was stopped by law enforcement pinning the truck.
"The pickup came to a stop and the female driver was identified as Tonia Dawn Huber," the affidavit states. "The male passenger was identified as Skylar Meade, the wanted fugitive."
Sheehan states that after arresting Huber, he noticed a blue pill in the driver seat. Sheehan said he recognized the pill to be fentanyl. He said he then noticed Huber had a powdery substance under her fingernails and he found two more pills where she had been sitting in the truck.
Huber was charged with harboring a fugitive, eluding and possession of a controlled substance. She also has a previous warrant for failure to appear for a petit theft charge. Her preliminary hearing for her alleged harboring, eluding and possession is April 15 at 8:15 a.m. in Twin Falls.
As KTVB previously reported, at approximately 2 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20, Meade was transported by ambulance to Saint Alphonsus to receive medical treatment for self-inflicted wounds to his face and body, according to Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) Director Josh Tewalt. Two IDOC officers accompanied Meade in the ambulance with additional armed IDOC staff following behind.
After Meade was treated, IDOC staff were preparing to transport him back to the prison when an unknown suspect, later identified as Umphenour, fired gunshots at officers hitting two of them, BPD said.
Boise police officers responded to the hospital after the report of gunshots. One of the BPD officers who arrived fired a shot that ended up hitting an IDOC officer, according to police.
Three officers in total were injured. Officials said one officer is in critical but stable condition, another sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, and the third officer that was allegedly struck by a BPD officer received care for the non-life-threatening injuries.
The two suspects then fled.
"We believe that this was a coordinated attack, ambush on Department of Correction officers," Boise Police Department Chief Ron Winegar said of the escape. "Certainly a planned endeavor to free him from custody."
At approximately 2 p.m. Thursday, suspects Meade and alleged accomplice Umphenour were located and arrested in Twin Falls County following a short vehicle pursuit. Huber, 52, was also arrested, her connection to the two men is still unknown.
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