The man who fatally shot a resident on 4th Street on March 9 after a burglary has accepted a plea deal to avoid the death penalty on Thursday.

Lance Broncho, 23, was charged with five felonies, including first-degree murder, aggravated battery, robbery, burglary, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Two enhancement charges were also added for using a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Broncho has agreed to plead guilty to the felony counts of first-degree murder and aggravated battery. The remaining charges will be dismissed, and the state will not pursue the death penalty.

The state recommended a unified sentence of life with 35 years fixed for the first charge and 25 years fixed for the second.

The plea agreement is a non-binding agreement, meaning the court can reject the plea agreement.

On March 9, Idaho Falls Police were dispatched to a home in the 100 block of 4th Street after a call came in about a burglary in progress that devolved into a shooting.

Two residents fought Broncho, and he shot both of them. One of them was shot in the leg and hand, and the other was shot in the chest.

During an IFPD neighborhood meeting on March 21, Lt. Darin Moulton said Broncho had targeted the wrong house on 4th Street and wasn’t targeting that family.

“Once he did what he did to break into the house, he was in it to win it at that point in time,” Moulton said.

Erick Leask, 51, was the one shot in the chest who died from his injuries. Blood at the scene also indicated that Broncho had been hurt in the brawl with residents.

A few hours later, officers located Broncho in an apartment unit at the Teton Mesa Apartments in the 800 block of Lomax St. Broncho had asked for help from a man to get a bullet out of his hand and to get him out of the area.

Broncho refused to exit the apartment, and SWAT was called in, starting a standoff. Officers evacuated neighbors before SWAT used tear gas to get Broncho out of the apartment. Broncho surrendered shortly after.

Broncho was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for the gunshot wound he sustained. At the hospital, he told officers he was there to “obtain marijuana” at the home.

A family member Broncho had a phone conversation with told them that another family member worked with Leask. Broncho said Leask was a family friend.

Broncho said in a video call with friends, he told them that Leask was a family friend. He said “Ohh, then you know what? Guess, guess who I killed? A family friend of mine,” Broncho said in the video call.

Broncho has a change of plea agreement hearing scheduled at 1:30 p.m. June 27 and a status conference at 9:30 a.m. July 22, both with with District Judge Michael Whyte.