Teen arrested in Wahooz stabbing. The latest on 5 Boise-area crime, prison incidents

It was an unusually busy weekend for law enforcement officials around the Treasure Valley.

Police in the area investigated a murder in Caldwell, stabbings in Meridian and Boise, and a disturbance at an Idaho prison near Kuna. Two Canyon County sheriff’s deputies were taken to the hospital after possible exposure to fentanyl.

Some incidents were still under investigation by police Monday. Here’s the latest:

Meridian police arrest 17-year-old after stabbing at Wahooz

Police in Meridian announced Monday that officers arrested a 17-year-old Nampa boy they say is responsible for the stabbing of another teenage boy Saturday evening at Wahooz Family Fun Zone.

At around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to the family entertainment complex after hearing that a 14-year-old boy was stabbed by an unknown assailant, according to a news release from the Meridian Police Department. The teen was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Police say the suspect, who was wearing a black shirt, then ran from Wahooz and drove away in a black BMW with Canyon County license plates.

Because he is a juvenile, police did not release the boy’s identity.

Meridian police spokesperson Stephany Galbreaith told the Statesman that the injured teen was last known to be stable and in good condition, though she was not sure if he was still hospitalized.

Caldwell woman accused of murder appears in court

A Caldwell woman accused of murder made her first appearance in court Monday.

Jennika Berry, 21, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 41-year-old Brad Griffin Jacobs, a Caldwell resident.

Canyon County sheriff’s deputies found Jacobs after arriving at a home in the 19000 block of Wagner Road on Friday. Details on the events leading to Jacobs’ death have been scarce, and additional details of the alleged murder were not discussed during Berry’s court hearing Monday.

Berry was being held at the Ada County Jail on the murder charge, as well as for a probation violation connected to a 2019 arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance. An arrest for a new charge is a violation of Berry’s probation.

During the arraignment hearing Monday, Judge Thomas Watkins told Berry that she was being held on a no-bail warrant. Berry asked if she could be given a bond amount. Watkins said that would have to be addressed by a judge in Canyon County where the murder charge originated.

It was not stated during the hearing when Berry would be transferred to Canyon County to seek a bond amount. Her next court appearance in Ada County will be on April 20 for an arraignment hearing on her on the probation violation.

4 injured after ‘disturbance’ at Idaho State prison near Kuna

Four incarcerated people were injured Saturday night during a disturbance inside of the Idaho State Correctional Center in Kuna.

No new information was made available Monday by the Idaho Department of Correction after the incident, which involved inmates attempting to break windows and starting a fire. The incident occurred in H Block, Tier One housing unit of the prison.

Department spokesman Jeff Ray previously told the Statesman that four people were taken to a Boise hospital for treatment, though the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

The housing unit where the incident occurred holds around 100 people. ISCC is Idaho’s largest prison. It can hold over 2,100 men. The prison houses minimum- and medium-security inmates. It also holds close-custody inmates, who are under supervision 24 hours a day. Close-custody inmates have a history of escape or have been disciplined while in prison.

Woman still hospitalized after Boise stabbing; alleged suspect dead

A Boise Police Department spokesperson told the Statesman that the victim of a stabbing in Boise was still hospitalized Monday.

At around 7 a.m. Saturday morning, police were called to a home in the 1600 block of Federal Way near Manitou Park. They found a badly injured woman who was stabbed. Police found her outside a home, and she was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Police searched nearby apartments and found a suspect, though police say they were unable to get the man to surrender. Officers were later able to enter the apartment, where “the adult male suspect was found deceased with what appeared to be self-inflicted wounds,” according to a news release from BPD.

The deceased man’s name had yet to released by authorities on Monday.

Canyon County deputies treated after possible fentanyl exposure

Two Canyon County sheriff’s deputies were sent to a local hospital and later released after authorities believe they came in contact with fentanyl.

While conducting a search on a man accused of possessing a stolen vehicle and a controlled substance, two deputies reportedly found the drug. Shortly after, the two reportedly began feeling symptoms of fentanyl exposure, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

The two were taken to a local hospital for treatment and were later released. A hazmat team with the Caldwell Fire Department was called in to decontaminate the jail after the possible exposure.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid painkiller that is 80-100 times more powerful than morphine. Being exposed to the smallest amounts of the drug can cause decreased respiratory function or respiratory arrest.

The man who allegedly possessed the drug, Josue Ramirez, was charged with felony concealment of evidence and introducing contraband into a correction facility. The investigation remains ongoing, as authorities still have pending toxicology reports, according to county spokesperson Joe Decker.

Ramirez remained in the custody of the Canyon County jail as of Monday. He was being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.