CHUBBUCK, Idaho (KIFI) — A 37-year-old Idaho woman faces serious felony charges after allegedly stealing an SUV with a sleeping infant inside on Sunday night.
Rikki Johnson was arrested on January 25 by Chubbuck Police and charged with felony grand theft. She also faces charges related to an outstanding misdemeanor drug warrant. Additional charges are currently under review by the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation began after a silver Kia Sorento was stolen from a Chubbuck residence at about 7:56 P.M. At the time of the theft, a one-year-old infant was asleep in the back seat.
Fortunately, police say a family member quickly found the abandoned SUV on Hiline Road. Chubbuck Police Department confirmed the child was still asleep in the vehicle and was unharmed during the ordeal.
Following a multi-agency search, officers identified and apprehended Johnson. She has been booked into the Bannock County Jail and is set to appear for a video arraignment on the drug charges later today, January 26, 2026.
“It’s important to point out that we’re a relatively safe community, and things like this don’t happen a lot,” said Chubbuck Police Chief Nick Sasser. “I think we can all say we’re glad it ended the way it did.”
Sasser emphasized that while the child was left in the vehicle for only a short period, and the incident occurred at a private residence, not a shopping center, it is still important for one parent to remain with children in a vehicle when possible.
“When you’re talking hypotheticals to people and you’re trying to explain to them that they shouldn’t leave a child in the vehicle, it’s a hypothetical situation, so it’s not real,” he said. “In this case, it was very real to this family.”
