Tidball arrested in Nebraska, Ellenson still at large

Victoria Tidball, the primary suspect in a shooting which took place in Saratoga on December 16, has been arrested.

Tidball, 28, was believed to be on the run following the incident in the early morning hours of December 16. According to Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris, she had fired approximately 40 rounds into a residence and a Jeep Gladiator owned by the victim of the shooting. There were no reported injuries or fatalities. Morris said evidence gathered after the incident indicated Tidball had met up with Cody Ellenson—the suspect of a burglary at the Whistle Pig Saloon south of Saratoga—and had fled with him.

The two were believed to have fled in a 2000 Ford Ranger.

According to an affidavit filed in Carbon County Circuit Court, the shooting occurred after the victim had ended his relationship with Tidball. She had, according to the victim, said he should know she “could kill him.” In an interview with law enforcement, the victim said she had been armed with a 9mm Glock handgun, which she fired into the front and back of the house and into the Jeep Gladiator. A report later came in that Tidball’s vehicle was seen driving westbound on Bridge Avenue in Saratoga and a ping of her phone indicated she was heading east on Interstate 80.

Tidball and Ellenson were allegedly seen at the Whistle Pig Saloon together where Ellenson was employed and left around midnight. In the late morning of December 16, a staff member opening the business discovered money missing from the gambling bag and the change bag. Video surveillance of the property showed Ellenson arriving at the Whistle Pig Saloon at approximately 3:00 a.m. in Tidball’s Ford Ranger, according to court documents. Surveillance allegedly showed Ellenson walking into the saloon and entering his alarm code before walking into the cooler where the money was stored and walking into the office. He then left the saloon, getting back into the Ford Ranger with Tidball.

Eleven days later, on the evening of December 27, Tidball was arrested by the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP). According to a press release from the NSP, it had received information Tidball was likely traveling through Nebraska. At around 10:20 p.m., a trooper located a BMW SUV which Tidball was believed to be driving near Gothenburg. The trooper performed a traffic stop and took Tidball into custody without incident.

She was booked into the Dawson County Jail later that evening. Tidball is facing pending charges in Carbon County Circuit Court of Aggravated Assault and Battery and Accessory After the Fact, to wit: theft. She is awaiting extradition back to Wyoming.

Ellenson remains at large, according to the Saratoga Police Department, and should still be considered armed and dangerous. He is thought to be traveling with a dog and is not believed to be in the Saratoga area.

According to a press release from the Saratoga Police Department, other agencies involved in helping to apprehend Tidball included the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Carbon County Attorney’s Office, Oskaloosa County Florida Sheriff’s Office and the Saint Joseph Missouri Police Department.