BONNERS FERRY — A local man has been charged with second-degree kidnapping without ransom after allegedly attempting to pick up someone he thought was a 15-year-old for dinner. In reality, authorities say he was messaging with a confidential informant, not a child. 

Shawn Vigil, 36, pleaded not guilty on Aug. 6 to the charge of kidnapping. It is alleged that he attempted to take a 15-year-old for dinner, having her leave her home with him and meeting at an arranged location, with the intent to conceal his actions from parents or guardians. He was initially charged on June 7, 2025. 

On Nov. 19, Vigil had a pretrial conference with District Judge Barbara Duggan. A two-day trial has been scheduled for Dec. 8.  

He was initially held on a bond of $100,000 on June 9. On July 8, it was lowered to $20,000, which he posted a day later.   

Detective Brandon Blackmore testified in an affidavit that he was assisting with an undercover operation to locate potential sexual predators. 

Vigil allegedly matched with a confidential informant on Badoo, a dating app, and the conversation later moved to text messages. The informant allegedly told Vigil she was 15 years old, prompting Vigil to ask if she wanted to go to dinner and whether she was alone at home. She replied that she was. 

Vigil said he was two hours away and would drive to Bonners Ferry to pick her up at a predetermined location. He also asked the informant to send more photos as he was driving. 

On June 7 at about 10 p.m., Vigil arrived at the location. He allegedly saw law enforcement approaching and fled. He was later located in a driveway and taken into custody.