California man arrested after early morning manhunt in Shelley

SHELLEY — A man is in custody after police say he attempted to rob a shop in Shelley, then fled into a field and began shooting a gun.

Luke Thomas Herzberger, 27, of California, is charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault and a deadly weapon enhancement.

According to a news release from Bingham County Sheriff Jeff Gardner, dispatch was alerted around 1 a.m. Wednesday to a possible shop burglary in progress near 1150 East 1300 North.

The reporting party stated a man had run away, and said they had heard gunshots shortly after.

Bingham County Sheriff’s deputies and Shelley Police officers responded to the area and reportedly heard several gunshots before a bullet struck a police car.

“Due to darkness, multiple visual obstructions, and a unique landscape affecting sound travel in the area, it was unknown where the shots were coming from,” says the release.

Idaho State Police, Blackfoot Police, and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to assist with locating the suspect, later identified as Herzberger, who was still intermittently shooting.

Bonneville County SWAT and the Eastern Idaho STAR Team’s Bearcat were mobilized, and a thermal drone was deployed in an attempt to locate the suspect, who was reportedly running through fields and continuing to shoot intermittently.

Officials located Herzberger behind a small silo near a residence on 1300 North, where he ran but was caught and taken into custody in a front yard on 1150 East. He was reportedly armed with a semi-automatic rifle and pistol at the time and was transported to the Bingham County Jail.

The investigation is still ongoing, but officials say it was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the public.

“We give our deepest appreciation and gratitude to all of the surrounding agencies for being willing to help. Shots were ringing out with a suspect at large that was unable to be seen, and the heroes of the night stayed in the fight,” Gardner said in the release. “They tactically advanced TOWARDS the sound of gunfire and brought the situation to a peaceful resolution. We could not be more proud and thankful for the outcome.”