A sex offender suspected in a violent gunpoint home-invasion robbery was arrested today.

 Joshua Clint Epperson, 32, was booked into jail on felony charges related to an early-morning attack last Tuesday in the 9600 block of North Alpine Court in the Indian Trail area.

The Spokane police Patrol Anti-Crime Team located Epperson in the 4200 block of North Atlantic Street, Officer Brian Eckersley said in a news release.

Epperson was arrested just three weeks ago for a burglary in the Country Homes area in north Spokane County and is to be arraigned Wednesday on residential burglary, first-degree trafficking in stolen property and resisting arrest charges.

He was out of jail awaiting that arraignment when police allege he partook in the robbery, which involved the victims being bound with zip ties and one being pistol whipped.

Suspects Nathan W. Day, 21, and Nathan T. McDaniels, 28, were arrested Wednesday and remain in jail.

Epperson faces charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, first-degree kidnapping, possession of a stolen firearm, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of unlawful imprisonment and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, Eckersley said. Prosecutors filed charges on Friday.

Epperson is a level 3 sex offender, which is the classification considered most likely to reoffend. He was convicted of third-degree rape of a child in 2003. He also has conviction for indecent liberties.

A Spokane man has been sentenced to about 10 years in prison for a gunpoint robbery last year.

Jeremy L. Standon, 30, has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for first-degree robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, money laundering, drug possession, second-degree identity theft, first-degree burglary, theft of a firearm.

He recorded his second first-degree robbery conviction - and second strike under the state's three-strikes-and-you're-out law - when he pleaded guilty in late April. Now he's headed to prison on a 129-month sentence that will include credit for 364 days already served in jail after being sentenced this week in Spokane County Superior Court.

Co-defendant John Gibson Dean, 30, is awaiting trial. He was arrested earlier this month after a couple months as a fugitive.

Police say Dean and Standon robbed three people of money, jewelry and electronics after being allowed inside the home at 1415 N. Post St. May 9, 2011. Police paid a confidential informant $100 for information that helped identify the men.

Two men have been arrested for a north Spokane home-invasion robbery in which the victims were bound with zip ties and one was pistol whipped.

Nathan W. Day, 21, and Nathan T. McDaniels, 28, are accused of entering a home in the 9600 block of North Alpine Court in the Indian Trail area about 2:45 a.m Tuesday, awaking a resident and asking him about a safe before stealing other items.

The victim said Day was armed with a handgun, and McDaniels told him to “be quiet and do what we say or you are going to get shot,” according to court documents prepared by the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

Day struck the victim with in the eye with the butt of the gun, but the man said he was able to break free from his zip ties and jump out a window. He said his Wii gaming console and games were stolen during the robbery.

Another resident told police four men knocked on the door and he let McDaniels in to use the bathroom. One of the men asked him if he wanted to smoke meth, and the man said he walked the men downstairs to wake up his girlfriend. That's when Day displayed the gun and the man was bound with zip ties as others stole items from the home, court documents say.

But that man was able to break free, too, and he grabbed a sword and struck McDaniels in the arm with it. The robbers then fled. The man's girlfriend said the robbers also threatened her with a gun and stole her iPhone.

Detectives conducting surveillance on the suspects Wednesday spotted McDaniels in the 4700 block of North Standard and arrested him. He had with him credit cards and a driver's license belonging to one of the victims, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Day was arrested Wednesday in the 900 block of East Wabash Avenue with a stolen handgun. Police recovered the stolen Wii console from a home there, as well as baggies of methamphetamine.

The men were jailed on robbery, burglary and kidnapping charges. A third suspect, Joshua C. Epperson, is not yet in custody,

  A man who robbed a former sheriff's deputy with long intoxicated driving history has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Matthias “Payback” Piggot, 30, (right) robbed James L. Crabtree (left) on Jan. 21, 2011, at an apartment in the 12700 block of East Shannon Avenue with a woman Crabtree said had been at his home two days earlier.

That woman, Sandy K. Perreira, 30, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in November after pleading guilty to residential burglary, third-degree assault and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Crabtree told police he grabbed a folding knife but dropped it after he was threatened with the hammer. He told his attackers he didn't have any drugs or money, so the two left with his checkbook, wallet and credit cards, according to court documents. Crabtree suffered a concussion in the attack.

Piggot's criminal history includes convictions for domestic violence and attempting to elude police.

In June, he was suspected of stabbing a man in Spokane Valley but an uncooperative victim halted the police probe. He also was present when Andrew T. Burns allegedly shot a man in June 2010.

Five people have been arrested for a home-invasion robbery in Adams County Friday that targeted a couple living with their 3-year-old son.

Roger Martinez, 20, of Othello; Julia JiJon, 18, of Warden; Diego Mendez, 19, of Othello; and Rocky Mendoza, 18, of Othello; and a 17-year-old boy are accused of entering the home in the 2000 block of Bench Road, about one mile south of Othello.

Adams County sheriff's deputies responded to the home about 9:40 p.m., where they located a 23-year-old man who had been hit in the face with the butt of a shotgun, according to a news release. He was taken by ambulance to Othello Community Hospital, where he was treated and released.

The man was home with his 34-year-old wife and their 3-year-old son when the men knocked on he door, then forced their way inside once it opened. Two men had a a bandanna covering their faces, a a third held a shotgun, according to a news release.

The men forced the victim into a bedroom and ransacked the home, stealing electronics, alcohol, the couple’s wedding rings, and their car. Three men remained outside the home.

Othello police found the stole car about 3 a.m. Saturday. They recovered the shotgun and arrested the car's two occupants. Three other suspects were arrested later; one remains at large.

All suspects face charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, second-degree theft, and theft of a motor vehicle. The juvenile is being held at Martin Hall Detention Center in Medical Lake. The others are booked at the Adams County Jail.

Cheney police are asking for help identifying a man responsible for a New Year's Eve home-invasion robbery.

The man used a knife to steal items from an occupied home in the 200 block of West Second Street in Cheney about 7:20 p.m. on Dec. 31.

He's described as white, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds. He wore a black Carhartt jacket, a dark gray hooded sweatshirt, black jean-like pants, black boots and a white bandanna with black print over the lower portion of his face.

The robber had a light-brown mustache, “spoke with a gravelly voice and smelled like cigarettes,” according to the Cheney Police Department.

Police released a sketch of the robber today.

Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Kelly Hembach at (509) 498-9269.

Two men have been charged in a gunpoint home-invasion robbery last summer.  

Brian Lee “Rowdy” Riley, 26, and Jeffrey “Lucky” Salvage, 24, (pictured) are accused of entering a home at 8419 E. Bridgeport Aug. 17 and stealing $80 at gunpoint.

Riley had a sawed off Marlin .410 shotgun, witnesses told police.

Riley is charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary.

Salvage also faces those charges, as well as felony charges for another alleged robbery that targeted two women in September.

Riley is not in jail. Salvage is in jail on $175,000 bond.

A gunpoint drug robbery at a northeast Spokane home led to two stabbings and four arrests early Saturday.

A victim, identified in court documents as Jason Paz, called police about 2:20 a.m. and said he'd been stabbed at a home in the 3900 block of East Ermina Avenue.

Spokane police officers found the second victim, Kelley L. Tate, at the home with cuts to her face; she was transported to a hospital in serious condition, according to court documents.

  A third alleged victim, Willie Sprayberry, told police he was sleeping in the basement when he was awakened by three men who told him he was being robbed. They led him at gunpoint upstairs to Tate and Paz, where Tate rushed the gunman and was hit in the head with an unknown object, according to police. The robbers stole cash, a wallet and a bone-handled knife before fleeing, officers said. 

Witnesses said suspect James R. Sprayberry, 26, (pictured) waited in a car outside. It's unclear how he's related to victim Willie Sprayberry.

Police drove to Sprayberry's home in the 1600 block of West York Avenue and stopped a vehicle nearby with six suspects.

Tate identified Shanteek M. Pruitt, 19; and Christopher L. Eakle, 24, as being in the home. Police found a bloody knife in Christopher A. Stoker's pocket, which led to the 27-year-old's arrest.

Pruitt told police she was at a party when she wanted to buy marijuana, so she drove to the north side with Stoker, Eakle, Sprayberry and a person who was not arrested.

Pruitt went into the home after about 20 minutes and saw Eakle and Paz fighting over a bag of marijuana before Eakle stabbed Paz several times, according to court documents.

Stoker said he had a “vicious fight” with the homeowner and that Pruitt originally had the knife but that he didn't see the stabbing.

Stoker also told police he was “screwed because he was a three striker and would go to prison for the rest of his life,” documents say.

The suspects appeared in Superior Court today on first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary charges.

A man ransacked a Pullman home at knife point Monday after attempting to strangle a resident, police said.

Police responded to a home on Northeast Whitman Street about 3:20 p.m., where the victim said he was assaulted by a man but was able to free himself and call police from a neighbor's house.

The attacker ransacked the home while a woman resident was inside, but the woman was not hurt and man apparently didn't take anything. The male victim received minor neck injuries but did not require medical attention.

The suspect was described as a black man, 5-foot-8 to 6-feet tall, in his early 20s with short black hair. He wore a white hooded sweatshirt, light blue basketball-style shorts and athletic shoes. He left with the knife.

Anyone with information is asked to call Pullman police at (509) 334-0802.

A 65-year-old man was assaulted in his home by two masked intruders Monday, the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department said today.

A sheriff's dog searched the home and surrounding area of Horsehaven Avenue and Greensferry Road but did not find the assailants.

The victim suffered “significant injuries to his head and face” from an unknown cause and was transported to Kootenai Medical Center for treatment.

Sheriff's deputies, Post Falls police and Kootenai County Fire/Rescue personnel responded to the area about 9:15 p.m. The victim was inside his home when he discovered the intruders. He escaped to his parents' home across the street and called 911.

“Due to the victim’s injuries and subsequent treatment at the hospital, deputies were unable to immediately determine what, if anything was stolen,” according to a news release.

The investigation is ongoing.

A gunpoint home-invasion robbery in southwest Spokane County early Wednesday led to the arrest of two men.

Mario Casillas, 42, and James T. Harris, 36, are accused of forcing their way into a rental unit at in the 6200 block of South Pendell Lane about 1:15 a.m. and stealing money at gunpoint.

The victim, Nick Wright, told police he was struck in the head and threatened with the gun while the men said he owed them money, but the victim said he'd never met the men.

Police recovered $350, Wright's driver's license and other stolen property after stopping the suspects at North Nevada Street and East Garland Avenue. Their car had grass stuck in it that was consistent with vehicle marks left on the grass outside the victim's flat, according to court documents.

Harris and Casillas were booked into Spokane County Jail for first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary.

Casillas has had a felony warrant out for his arrest since March because he didn't submit a DNA sample after a felony protection-order violation conviction.

A second suspect has been arrested in a home-invasion robbery in Pullman last week.

Jeremiah J. Lafave, 27, was booked into the Idaho County Jail after being arrested at a relative's home in Steites, Idaho, about 5 p.m. on Saturday.

He's awaiting extradition back to Whitman County, where he faces charges of robbery, kidnapping, burglary, theft and harassment.

Police believe Lafave and Matthew E. White, 35, of Clarkston, tied up a man at gunpoint at an apartment complex last Tuesday and stole carious items. White was arrested Thursday.

Surveillance photos and videos from a convenience store helped identify the suspects.

“Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins thanks those who provided tips and the assisting law enforcement agencies that led to the identification and arrest of the suspects so quickly,” according to a news release. 

A suspect has been arrested in a home-invasion robbery in Pullman earlier this week.

Matthew E. White, 35, of Clarkston, is in the Whitman County Jail on charges of robbery, kidnapping, burglary, theft and harassment.

Tips helped police identify him as one of two men who tied up and robbed a Pullman man at gunpoint Tuesday.  Police and the Whitman County SWAT team searched White's home in the 2800 block of 6th Avenue in Clarkston just before 8 p.m. Thursday.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Pullman police at (509) 334-0802.

Surveillance photos and videos of the suspects can be viewed here.

Pullman police are asking for help identifying two men involved in a home-invasion robbery Tuesday. 

Surveillance videos shows the suspects, described as white men between the ages of 21 and 25. 

One man wore jeans, a red undershirt and a black and white plaid long-sleeved shirt; the second man wrote denim shorts, white shoes, a hat and a gray sweatshirt and had tattoos on his lower left leg. 

The men are believed to have robbed a man at gunpoint at the Aspen Village Apartments in the 16000 block of N.E. Northwood Drive.

The robbers stole items and tied up the victim before leaving the home, police said. No one was injured. Police were called about 11 a.m.

A white woman with blond hair, a yellow shirt and a tattoo on the right side of her neck is seen with the suspects, who are believed to be driving a light-colored, mid-sized SUV.

Anyone with information on the robbery or suspects is asked to call the Pullman Police Department at (509) 334-0802.

UPDATE: Vanscoik and Dahlen were booked into jail on May 13.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that help arrest both the victim and suspect in a home-invasion robbery that occurred one year ago Wednesday.

Aaron T. Vanscoik, 19, (left) pleaded guilty to residential burglary, second-degree assault and second-degree robbery in a plea agreement that calls for prosecutors to recommend an exceptionally low sentence of credit for time served.

Vanscoik is to testify truthfully about the incident, including the roles of Levi Ehli and Brittany Cesario, according to the agreement.

 Ehli and Cesario are the only suspects who haven't resolved their charges in the case, which began when several people assaulted William Hans Dahlen, 52, in his home at 2922 E. Providence Ave. on May 11, 2010.

Vanscoik was allowed to leave jail after his plea agreement, but an arrest warrant was issued May 5 after he failed to maintain curfew and check in with the court as required.

Crime Stoppers also is offering a reward for tips that help arrest Dahlen (right), who's wanted on a material witness warrant to ensure his appearance at trial. Cesario's is set to begin May 23; Ehli's is scheduled for June 6. 

Dahlen is the ex-boyfriend of Lisa Jo Wareham, who told police she recruited Ehli (her son) and others to give Dahlen “a taste of his own bulls**t,” according to an affidavit.

“She said that no one was supposed to get hurt except “maybe a broken kneecap was OK,” according to the affidavit.

Wareham (left) was sentenced to 92 months in prison in March after pleading guilty to first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, second-degree robbery and first-degree theft.

Co-defendant Braiden M. Conner was sentenced to 51 months in prison after pleading guilty to burglary and assault charges; Tony A. Darling was sentenced to 30 years in prison in another case in which Vanscoik was a witness. Darling's sentencing was a plea deal to avoid a three-strikes life-in-prison sentence.

Vanscoik, 5-foot-7 and 200 pounds, last gave a home address in the 3900 block of East Eighth Avenue.

Dahlen, 5-foot-5 and 200 pounds, last gave an address in the 1800 block of East Rockwell Avenue.

Anyone with information on their current locations is asked to call at 1-800-222-TIPS or submit tips online. Tipsters don't have to leave their name to collect a reward but should leave a code name or number.

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A jury has convicted a woman for her role in a fatal home-invasion robbery in Washington state that was linked to an Internet ad for a diamond ring.

The trial of 22-year-old Amanda Knight went to the Pierce County jury Wednesday. Jurors returned the guilty verdict Thursday on charges of murder, robbery and assault.

A man at the door of a Spokane Valley home pushed his way into the residence and robbed a couple in their 60s, police said today.

The robber knocked on the couple’s door about 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday, asked for someone named Steve and then forced his way inside demanding money.

The robber pushed the husband over the couch and grabbed the wife’s purse and ran out. The purse contained credit cards and other items.

Officers and a K-9 team checked the area, but were unable to find the man, described as white, in his mid-20s, 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-10 and unshaven with dark hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and khaki-colored pants.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Three suspects have been charged  in a gunpoint home-invasion robbery in Cheney last week.

Merle Leon Weeks, 17, Meshion M. Woodruff, 19, and Samuel Chavez, 23, are accused of breaking into their marijuana dealer's home, handcuffing and binding him with an iPod cord and stealing cash, pot and electronics.

Weeks appeared in Superior Court today on charges of second-degree assault, first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and unlawful imprisonment. Woodruff appeared in court Tuesday. Both are in the Spokane County Jail, along with Chavez.

The robbery occurred at March 21 at 15 N. 3rd St.

The victim, David K. Lindsay, 25, went to the Cheney police station at 2:30 a.m. and said two men broke into his home with guns and told him they were the police before ransacking him home. .

Weeks “was a bit emotional” when he was arrested Friday at 620 W. 7th St., in Cheney, and apologized to his mother as he was led to the police car, according to court documents.

He gave a detailed interview to police and has been charged as an adult.

A box of Chicken of the Sea tuna and a lost wallet recently led to felony charges against a Spokane man suspected of robbing a medical marijuana patient at gunpoint.

Jesse Ryder Bender, 29, is in jail on $35,000 bond after appearing in Superior Court on two counts of unlawful imprisonment and two counts of first-degree robbery. He was arrested Feb. 21 after being released from jail Jan. 3 because prosecutors hadn't yet filed charges.

Bender was first arrested Dc. 30 while working at the High Nooner in downtown Spokane.

Detectives identified Bender as a suspect through a wallet left at the scene of the Dec. 28 robbery , in the 8000 block of E. South Riverway Ave. in Spokane Valley. Fingerprints on a box of Chicken of Sea also were identified as belonging to Bender, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police say Bender asked a woman at the home if she'd ordered Chicken of the Sea when she answered the door, then forced his way into the home and gunpoint and tied the woman up. Her son had a medical marijuana card and maintained a small grow operation at the home.

Bender and another man not identified in court documents are accused of binding the woman and her other son with zip ties and stealing marijuana plants while the pot patient was at work.

Detectives discovered Bender's wallet in the grow room and contacted him at the sandwich shop, where he told them he may have lost his wallet on the bus.