Two suspects charged after allegedly robbing couple with Sharpie

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CHUBBUCK — A man and woman have each been charged with multiple felonies after they allegedly used the threat of force to take panhandling money from another couple.
Thirty-two-year-old Karla Devinney, of Bannock County, and 28-year-old De Von Farmer, of Fort Hall, have each been charged with felonies for robbery and conspiracy robbery, court records show.
Chubbuck police responded to a call reporting a robbery at a convenience store on Yellowstone Avenue around 4 p.m. on May 22, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The caller followed the alleged perpetrators to a bus stop on the 4100 block of Yellowstone Avenue. There, officers found two people matching the descriptions provided by the victims and apprehended them for questioning.
Other officers spoke with the victims at the convenience store.
The victims told officers they had been panhandling when a man, later identified as Farmer, approached their vehicle and pushed a Sharpie pen into the driver’s throat. Farmer demanded the victims give him all the money they had made while panhandling.
He told the victims they were “on his turf” and if they continued to panhandle there, they would be forced to pay him 50 percent of their earnings, the affidavit says.
A woman, later identified as Devinney, walked up to the victim in the passenger seat, allegedly opened the door and demanded the passenger’s purse. The victim said Devinney took loose change, a cell phone and an ID from the purse.
Devinney read the address on the ID aloud and told the victims she would come to their home and kill them if they called the police, according to the affidavit. The female victim told officers she was highly concerned regarding the threat.
The female said she wasn’t certain how much change Devinney took, but guessed it was around 75 cents.
Officers asked the victim who had been in the driver’s seat if he required medical assistance for his throat. He said his throat was sore to the touch, but he did not require EMS.
The manager of the convenience store told police the area was not covered by the store’s surveillance system.
Meanwhile, the officers who had detained Devinney and Farmer found Farmer in possession of a Sharpie.
Devinney said she didn’t have the victim’s ID and allowed officers to search her and her belongings. Officers did not find the victim’s ID.
Farmer told officers the victims had asked him for money. They borrowed his Sharpie, he added, then an altercation arose when he asked for the Sharpie back.
Devinney and Farmer both declined to answer any further questions.
When officers searched the bus stop, they found a phone matching the description provided by the victims. It was confirmed to be the victim’s phone. Officers never did find the ID.
Devinney and Farmer were arrested and taken to Bannock County Jail for booking. Both were released on their own recognizance to court services.
Though Devinney and Farmer have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.
If they are found guilty, both could face up to life in prison.
Both are scheduled to appear in court before magistrate judge Scott Axline Tuesday for preliminary hearings.
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Source: eastidahonews.com