BILLINGS - Two people were charged Thursday in Yellowstone County District Court after a shoplifting spree turned into a felony crime when a store employee was assaulted.
Ian Levi Reyes, 29, and Kirstyn Kelcie Enemyhunter, 20, appeared for arraignment by video from the county jail.
Reyes pleaded not guilty to felony robbery and was ordered held on $10,000 bond.
Enemyhunter pleaded not guilty to felony robbery by accountability and her bond was also set at $10,000. Prosecutors said at the time of her arrest Enemyhunter was wanted on a bench warrant related to a previous felony robbery charge.
According to charging documents, the two were arrested Tuesday after leading officers on a chase before their get-away car broke down.
The incident began shortly after 6 p.m. when officers were called to the Ace Hardware store off Main Street in the Billings Heights. Two employees reported that the suspects had pushed a loaded cart out of the store without paying. The employees followed the pair to a parked car and attempted to retrieve some of the taken items from the car. Prosecutors allege Reyes confronted the employees and tried to push one of them away from the car.
The employee grabbed Reyes' shirt, charging documents state, and that's when Reyes slipped the shirt off while flailing his arms and struck the employee in the face causing her lip to bleed and swell.
Reyes drove away and was spotted by officers who attempted to stop the car but the driver took off at high speed. Officers did not pursue the car, but a short time later it was located broken down on Minnesota Avenue where Reyes and Enemyhunter were arrested.
