CALDWELL -- A Caldwell man is behind bars after police say he tried to elude officers with a 3-year-old child in his pickup, injuring the toddler when he collided with a pole.
Jeffrey Dale Southern, 50, is facing felony charges of injury to a child, domestic battery with a weapon, aggravated battery and eluding, as well as misdemeanor charges of DUI and failure to report a crash.
Canyon County Sheriff's Office deputies were called out to Southern's RV Tuesday night at about 10:30 p.m. after the suspect's neighbor heard shouting coming from the trailer, then heard a child calling out that their father was hurting their mother.
The neighbor said he went outside to see a child walking around the trailer. Southern called the child inside, then came out of the mobile home with a toddler and got into a black Dodge pickup, the witness said.
The man told police he had tried to stop Southern by leaning into the window of his pickup, but the suspect drove away.
Deputies interviewed Southern's wife, who told them that her husband had been drinking and they got into an argument. Southern left, the woman said, then returned and began yelling at her, before grabbing a butcher knife and throwing her on the bed.
The victim said Southern held her down and yelled "I'll kill you," raising the butcher knife every time she tried to move. According to court documents, the deputy noticed a bright red scratch on the woman's neck.
When one of the woman's children ran outside calling for help, Southern got off of her and told the neighbor everything was OK before grabbing the three-year-old and driving away, the victim said.
As the first deputy was interviewing the woman, a second spotted Southern's black Dodge near Simplot and Centennial Boulevard, and tried to pull him over. According to an affidavit, Southern did not stop, instead speeding away at more than 80 mph in a 25 mph zone.
The deputy did not give chase out of safety concerns. The 3-year-old was still inside the pickup and was not restrained in a child seat, according to the deputy.
At some point, according to court documents, Southern smashed into a street light pole near Chicago Street and Franklin Road, but kept going.
At about 12:10 a.m. Wednesday, a Caldwell Police officer helping search for Southern spotted his pickup about four miles away near Ustick and Farmway Road. The Dodge was stopped near a power pole, and Southern was standing outside holding a gas can.
As the squad car approached, Southern got back in the truck and the officer pulled in directly behind him in an attempt to box him in between the pole and the police car. In an affidavit, the officer wrote that he could see a small child moving around in the cab of the pickup.
Southern was able to pull forward and drive away, according to police. The officer followed, getting up to about 40 mph before discontinuing the pursuit. The suspect continued to speed away down Ustick, blowing through a red light, police say.
Deputies and officers continued searching for him, and at 12:37 a.m., learned from dispatch that Southern had turned up at someone's doorstep in Nampa asking for gasoline.
Deputies responded to the address near Franklin and Ustick Road, and found Southern, the toddler, and the pickup, which was damaged on the passenger side and had the passenger window smashed in.
The 3-year-old had minor injuries and glass in their hair, according to deputies.
Southern denied fighting with his wife or using a knife. When asked if he had been drinking, he responded "I take the 5th, that's all I'm going to say without my lawyer."
Southern was arrested and taken to a hospital to get checked out. According to court documents, he threatened to fight deputies if they tried to draw his blood for an alcohol test. A breathalyzer test ultimately measured his blood alcohol levels at .124/.123, well above Idaho's legal limit of .08.
After being medically cleared, Southern was booked into the Canyon County Jail, where he remains on a $250,000 bond.
He is due to appear in court Jan. 16.
