IDAHO FALLS, ID – A Texas woman was arrested Tuesday evening after allegedly attempting to commit bank fraud, dragging a police officer with her vehicle, and leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through Idaho Falls and into Bonneville County.
According to the Idaho Falls Police Department, officers responded just after 6 p.m. on June 10 to a panic alarm triggered at Idaho Central Credit Union on S 15th East. A bank employee reported that a woman was attempting to withdraw a large sum of money using a stolen ID.
When an officer arrived, he located the suspect’s white GMC Terrain outside the bank. As he approached, the suspect exited the bank and attempted to flee in the vehicle. The officer reached into the window to stop her, but the woman accelerated, dragging him roughly 50 feet before he released his grip and rolled onto the pavement. He sustained minor injuries and was later treated and released from a local hospital.
The suspect fled south at high speed, hitting a fence, running stop signs, and driving into oncoming traffic. Officers eventually discontinued the pursuit for public safety but tracked her vehicle into a residential area using community tips and police drones.
A nearby Uber driver alerted officers that his passenger matched the suspect’s description. He had picked her up near a tree line in the area and brought her to police.
The woman, identified as 50-year-old Wendy Bess of Texas, admitted to her involvement. Detectives later determined she had successfully withdrawn $10,000 earlier in the day using fraudulent means and had attempted to defraud two other banks.
Bess was arrested and booked into the Bonneville County Jail on charges of felony battery on an officer, two counts of felony attempted grand theft, grand theft, felony eluding, and misdemeanor resisting or obstructing.
Authorities credited observant neighbors, cooperative witnesses, and interagency coordination for the quick resolution of the incident.