Idaho fugitive arrested in Jewel Basin area
Brandon Lee Kindred
A fugitive from Idaho is lodged in the Flathead County Detention Center after a series of incidents that ended Labor Day weekend in the Jewel Basin area.
Brandon Lee Kindred, 36, of Smelterville, Idaho, faces three felony charges of theft and one misdemeanor for partner or family member assault. His bail is $50,000.
In Bonner County, Idaho, Kindred is charged with stealing an ATV.
According to charging documents, a man called authorities on Friday, Sept. 3, after a man and woman approached his home and asked for a ride. They told him they were in an accident on Jewel Basin Road and wanted a ride to their camper. The man declined and after they walked away, he saw a man, later identified as Kindred, hit the victim in the face.
When deputies found the woman, she told them Kindred, her boyfriend, was driving a blue Ford pickup truck when they had an accident on Jewel Basin Road. They left to find the camper and after arguing, she said Kindred struck her in the face. One officer reported seeing dried blood on her face and jacket.
Another officer found the pickup truck that had crashed into a tree and wasn’t drivable. The truck was reported stolen from a construction company in Philipsburg, Montana.
Officers learned Kindred had a warrant for his arrest in Idaho and when they found him he allegedly had a key for the stolen truck from the construction company.
The officers also found a camper trailer and a 4-wheeler near where they found Kindred. Officers contacted the registered owner of the camper, who didn’t know the vehicle was stolen. At the campsite, they also found a document with Kindred’s name on it.
When Kindred spoke to officers he allegedly said he backhanded the woman’s leg and had permission to drive the truck and use the camper trailer. The officers also said he told them the 4-wheeler belonged to his aunt.
After a records check, the 4-wheeler was reported stolen from Idaho and the truck was reported stolen in Granite County.
Kindred’s arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23. He faces a maximum of 10 years in the Montana State Prison.
Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.