POCATELLO — Two Pocatello residents were recently arrested after being wanted on theft-related charges for weeks and then released from jail within 24 hours, according to police and court records.

Crystal Ann Midthun, 35, of Pocatello, has been charged with attempted grand theft for an incident in June as well as grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft for an incident in November, court records show.

David Scott Johnson, 46, of Pocatello, has been charged with burglary for allegedly entering a pickup truck and stealing two 5-quart bottles of full synthetic oil and bolt cutters in December, according to court records.

The incident involving Johnson unfolded when Police were dispatched to the area of East Day Street for the report of a vehicle burglary in progress around 5:20 a.m. on Dec. 31, police said.

The victim said someone broke into his Ford pickup truck and stole numerous items and was fleeing the scene in a tan pickup truck.

A short while later, officers observed a truck matching the description in the 600 block of Yellowstone Avenue and initiated a traffic stop, identifying Johnson as the driver, police said.

Officers observed the two quarts of oil and bolt cutters in the back of Johnson’s truck that were not covered in the recent snowfall and the victim identified those items as belonging to him, police said.

Officers initially intended to cite Johnson for misdemeanor trespassing and petit theft, so he was released from the traffic stop, police said. It was later determined that because the oil and bolt cutters were removed from a vehicle, Johnson should face felony burglary charges, which were filed on Feb. 3, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to police.

Johnson was arrested on Tuesday and incarcerated at the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello. He posted a $10,000 bond that day and was released, curt records show.

He is due back in court on March 2 for a preliminary hearing in which prosecutors will attempt to prove there is enough evidence against him to elevate the case from the magistrate to district court level for trial.

If convicted of the felony burglary charge, Johnson faces no less than one and up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.

The first incident involving Midthun began to unfold around 6:20 a.m. on June 20 when Pocatello police were dispatched to a residence on Wayne Avenue after a homeowner interrupted the theft of his $8,000 interstate trailer, police said.

The homeowner said he awoke to the sound of a vehicle outside his window and then heard a loud bang, which he later learned was the snap from someone cutting off the lock to his trailer hitch, according to police reports.

When the man asked what the woman was doing, she replied that she was told to pick up the trailer, said police, adding that when the man said he was calling the police the woman got into the passenger seat of the truck and the vehicle fled from the area, police said.

The man described the vehicle as a new blue Toyota and provided what he believed were the first four digits of the license plate. He also provided the officer with a description of the woman.

The homeowner on June 29 emailed surveillance video footage to the officer that was captured from a neighbor’s home who was out of town. The footage was from a distance but depicted a four-door Toyota pulling up to the trailer and woman approaching.

The officer compiled the information from the homeowner and the surveillance footage and then shared it with other members of law enforcement and received a tip that the woman could be Midthun, who owns a 2019 Toyota Tacoma. The first four digits of her license plate matched what the homeowner provided, police said.

Officers interviewed Midthun at her home in Pocatello on July 30. Midthun said she remembered the incident but again said she was told by another person to pick up the trailer, police said. Midthun said the lock was already removed from the trailer when she arrived, police said.

The officer informed Midthun that the incident would be forwarded to the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office for the review of criminal charges and left her home.

The next incident involving Midthun occurred on November 29 when Pocatello police were dispatched to an Eighth Avenue home for the report of a stolen $16,000 Jayco camp trailer. The owner of the trailer explained it had distinctive lining placed on the front and passenger side, though no neighbors saw anything and there was no surveillance footage of the trailer being removed, police said.

After the officer put the information about the incident into a report, he was informed by another Pocatello police officer that Midthun and another person had been stopped on November 27 while hauling a Jayco trailer with lights that were not operational. Pocatello police on Dec. 6 observed the Jayco trailer parked at Midthun’s home, police said.

Police attempted to contact Midthun several times over the next few weeks and were unsuccessful, so an arrest warrant charging her with grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft was issued, police said.

Midthun was charged with all three felonies on Jan. 7. She was arrested on Thursday and incarcerated at the Bannock County Jail in Pocatello.

Midthun appeared in front of 6th District Judge Paul Laggis for an arraignment hearing Thursday, and was ordered to be released from jail on her own recognizance. She is due back in court on March 3 for a preliminary hearing.

If convicted of all three felony theft-related charges against her, Midthun faces up to 35 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000 in fines.