Man not charged for shooting FBI agent

Manuel P. Villalobos III appeared in Coeur d’Alene U.S. District Court on Friday for an unlawful possession of a firearm charge after he reportedly shot an FBI agent Thursday.

Villalobos, 42, was detained early Thursday at a residence south of the Nez Perce Tribal Fish Hatchery near Cherrylane.

He has a preliminary examination hearing scheduled for Thursday, and a criminal complaint establishing probable cause for the unlawful firearm possession charge indicates he is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service. Villalobos wasn’t charged with shooting the agent.

One SWAT member from the Salt Lake Division of the FBI that responded to the scene was shot and sustained non-life threatening injuries, according to court records.

The agent is not identified in court documents. SWAT did not return fire after gunshots came from somewhere inside the residence on Fir Bluff Lane, Lenore.

SWAT agents were able to verbally order Villalobos to surrender, and he exited a bedroom of the home and was arrested, according to the complaint.

Villalobos’ girlfriend was in the home but was not injured. She later spoke to investigators and estimated hearing 10 gunshots.

Idaho U.S. Attorney’s Office Spokeswoman Cassandra Fulghum said Friday she would not release any more details about the incident.

Federal agents had been investigating Villalobos since April after he threatened to harm his stepmother and showed increasingly erratic behavior, according to court records. He reportedly published several Facebook posts threatening to shoot law enforcement and anyone else who came onto the property where he lives.

“Gun placement, In vantage points, check … I’ve measured shooting distances already to the road” according to one post. “Desperation won’t be met with a clean execution. They don’t deserve it … I figure getting shot and then prison.”

Investigators learned Villalobos had a 1995 felony burglary conviction out of Latah County that had a withheld judgment revoked because of a parole violation in 1997. Since the charge remained on his record, he couldn’t legally own a firearm unless he petitioned for reinstatement, but he had not done so.

Lewiston police took a report in April that Villalobos threatened his stepmother, accusing her of killing his father. Manuel P. Villalobos Jr. died of health issues in December 2017 while in hospice care, and police found nothing suspicious about his death. The case was forwarded to the FBI since Villalobos lives on Nez Perce Tribal land.

On Sept. 16, Nez Perce County sheriff’s deputy John Clizer was dispatched to the Fir Bluff residence and saw Villalobos with a weapon similar to an AK-47 slung across his back. Villalobos complied when Clizer told him to drop the rifle and told Clizer people were trying to bomb or burn his home, according to the complaint. Villalobos claimed someone had put red phosphorous on his yard in order to burn his home. His nephew was at the residence and also claimed to see red phosphorous. The rifle had one magazine inserted and a second magazine taped upside down next to the first magazine, according to the complaint. Investigators later learned that Villalobos’ nephew moved out of the home after he threatened to shoot his nephew, according to court records.

On Jan. 28, fish hatchery employees accessed a pump that supplied the hatchery via Villalobos’ driveway. Villalobos reportedly approached hatchery employees with the rifle equipped with the taped magazines and allegedly carried the weapon in front of him, but did not point it at the employees.

After Villalobos was detained Thursday, agents located the rifle in his home. Villalobos’ girlfriend later told investigators she was doing dishes at about 6 a.m. and saw men dressed in camouflage outside the home.

She told Villalobos about the men outside, and he said, “It’s the cops,” and began firing at the officers from his bedroom, according to the complaint.

After searching the home, investigators seized the weapon and noted it was a 7.62 by 39 mm-caliber rifle manufactured by Century International Arms that appeared to have some customizations.

Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.

Tom Holm may be contacted at tholm@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2275. Follow him on Twitter @TomHolm4.