POCATELLO — Local police recently arrested three East Idaho residents that were wanted in connection to incidents involving illegal narcotics.

Malissa Irene Decoria, 31, of Idaho Falls, and Andrew Austin Klimek, 34, of Salmon, both face felony drug charges following an incident that unfolded in Pocatello around 10 p.m. on Jan. 26.

Decoria has been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, fentanyl, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Klimek has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, heroin. He also faces felony charges from 2021.

Pocatello police on Jan. 26 were asked to assist local bail enforcement agents in locating Klimek, who had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court related to 2021 charges of possession of the controlled substances fentanyl and heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to police reports and court records the Idaho State Journal recently obtained.

When the bail enforcement agents attempted to arrest Klimek in an alley south of the 1000 block of East Bridger street, Klimek, who was with Decoria, fled the area on foot, police said. When both Decoria and Klimek fled the scene, they each dropped the backpacks they were carrying, said police, adding that those items were subsequently seized as abandoned property and searched.

Inside Klimek’s bag, police located a brown substance that tested positive for heroin as well as coins, power tools and other items that police suspected were stolen, according to police reports.

Inside Decoria’s bag, police found numerous items of drug paraphernalia that would later be tested by the Idaho State Police forensic lab and return positive results for fentanyl, police said.

Klimek was located and arrested on the outstanding warrants on Feb. 3 and the additional felony possession of a controlled substance charge, heroin, was filed against him on Feb. 11, according to police reports.

An arrest warrant charging Decoria with felony drug possession and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia was issued on Feb. 11 and she was located and arrested on Feb. 23, police said.

Klimek appeared in court for an arraignment hearing on Feb. 11, during which his bond was set at $5,000. He appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 22 in which prosecutors found sufficient evidence to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.

He is set to appear for an arraignment in district court on March 14.

Decoria appeared in front of 6th District Judge Paul Laggis on Feb 24, during which her bond was set at $25,000.

She is due back in court on March 3 for a preliminary hearing in which prosecutors will attempt to prove there is enough evidence against her to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level.

If Klimek is convicted of all the felony charges against him, he faces up to 26 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. Decoria faces up to seven years in prison and fine of up to $15,000 if convicted of the felony possession of fentanyl charge she faces.

A 27-year-old Pocatello man charged with felony drug possession was recently arrested again on Feb. 28 after having been released from jail on his own recognizance and ordered to participate in pretrial court services, according to court records.

Dusten Lara was initially arrested in January after turning himself into authorities following a felony arrest warrant being issued for him that charged him with three felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and one felony count of burglary for two separate incidents alleged to have occurred in Pocatello in April and June 2021.

Lara was ordered to submit to daily drug testing, which he failed to do and a pretrial release violation was issued against him on Feb. 17, court records show. He was located and arrested on Feb. 28 and ordered to remain incarcerated with a no-bond hold, court records show.

He is due back in court on March 14 for a preliminary hearing.

If convicted of all four felony charges against him, Lara faces no less than one year and up to 31 years in prison and up to $95,000 in fines.