Powell woman dies in apparent suicide at jail
POWELL—An inmate at the Park County Detention Center died Saturday night in what authorities described as an apparent suicide. The Powell woman, who’d been booked into the jail early Friday morning, was 35 years old at the time of her death.
In a Monday afternoon news release, the Park County Sheriff’s Office withheld the woman’s name, saying that a family member had yet to be notified of her death. As a result, the Tribune is not publishing her name either.
The sheriff’s office said detention deputies were conducting rounds at 8:44 p.m. Saturday when they found the woman unresponsive. Preliminary indications were that the woman, who was in her own cell, had attempted to take her own life, the release said.
Deputies “immediately performed life-saving measures,” the sheriff’s office said, including by administering CPR and applying an automated external defibrillator. However, the woman was reportedly in cardiac arrest at the time she was transported to Cody Regional Health and attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful.
Per standard protocol, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation was asked to help conduct an investigation into the death. It remained pending on Monday.
Court records indicate agents had been monitoring her movements and those of two traveling companions as part of a drug investigation.
Authorities stopped the group’s SUV around 12:30 a.m. Friday on the eastern end of Lane 9. Agents had already obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, and they found what appeared to be over an ounce of meth and roughly 300 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl. The woman was charged with three felony counts, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The woman had been set to make her initial court appearance on Monday.
Jackson pedestrian hit by vehicle in critical condition
JACKSON—A pedestrian struck by a vehicle last week remains in critical condition in an East Idaho hospital.
The driver, a Jackson resident who has not been identified, hit Jackson resident Francisco Rodriguez, 75, at 11:15 p.m. on June 19 when Rodriguez began crossing South Park Loop Road at the intersection with Highway 89.
A Teton County sheriff’s deputy witnessed the incident while at the Maverik gas station. A written statement from the deputy said Rodriguez was wearing dark clothing and did not have a walk sign when he began running across the intersection, according to Trooper Todd Baxter of the Wyoming Highway Patrol, who took the deputy’s statement during his investigation of the collision.
The driver was traveling through the intersection and didn’t see Rodriguez, who hit the front driver’s side panel and a mirror. Rodriguez sustained a serious head injury and remains in the intensive care unit at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Baxter said.
According to Baxter, the driver did nothing wrong and was not cited.
“The guy is really shaken up,” Baxter said. “He certainly was not at fault.”
It appeared from Rodriguez’s belongings that he may have been in a rush.
“He was carrying a bag that had a meal in it,” Baxter said. “It looked like he was on his way home from work and he had his dinner and was in a hurry to get home.”
Baxter said that as far as he knows, this is the first collision involving a pedestrian on a highway in Teton County.
Owners of Cody steakhouse arrested
CODY—Cassie’s Steakhouse, a historic restaurant in Cody, became the center of a dramatic incident on the night of June 19.
The owners, Randel and Courtney Hooper, were arrested following a heated confrontation with customers that escalated into threats and physical violence. The altercation resulted in charges of terroristic threats, harassment and assault against a police officer, according to the affidavit.
The trouble began when a group of patrons expressed dissatisfaction with the service at Cassie’s, leading to a verbal altercation with Courtney Hooper.
According to Cody Police Officer Daniel Villalobos, the customers threatened to kill her because they waited an hour and a half to be seated. In response, Hooper called 911 and also informed her husband, Randel, about the threats.
The Hoopers followed the disgruntled customers, Alan and Grace Metzger, halfway to the Big Bear Motel where they were staying. Villalobos intervened, and Courtney Hooper told the officer she did not wish to press charges but wanted the Metzgers never to come back to Cassie’s.
Villalobos broke up the confrontation but said another one started an hour later when the Hoopers went to the Metzgers’ motel.
Randel Hooper shouted at Villalobos, “You better [expletive] arrest them or I’ll be back and I’ll [expletive] kill them.”
The situation escalated further when Randel resisted arrest and kicked Villalobos in the head, causing injuries that required medical attention.
Both Randel and Courtney Hooper were taken into custody.
Randel faces a felony charge for assaulting a police officer, which could result in up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted. Courtney faces three misdemeanor charges related to the incident. During their arraignment, Randel’s bond was set at $5,000 cash/surety, while Courtney’s was set at $2,500 cash/surety.
The Hoopers’ next court appearances are scheduled for later this month, with Randel set for a preliminary hearing on June 28 and Courtney’s trial set for Nov. 14.
