Fingerprints on a knife left at the scene of a hit-and-run crash last September recently led police to identify a suspect.

 Michael L. Bridges, who was released from prison last year for another hit-and-run crash, is accused of crashing a Chevrolet Malibu into a vehicle at the intersection of Wellesley Avenue and Belt Street Sept. 8. The other driver injured her arms, back and neck.

Witnesses say the at-fault driver run from the crash into a yard in the 4800 block of North Cannon Street. One witness said Bridges, 26, dropped a knife when he heard he witness mention it to a 911 dispatcher.

Bridges' girlfriend at the time, who owns the Malibu, told police he asked her to report the car as stolen so he wouldn't get in trouble.

Police submitted a charging request to prosecutors March 27 after the forensic unit informed them of the fingerprint match on the knife.

Bridges has a previous conviction for hit-and-run related to a crash in 2008 during a police chase. He was sentenced in January 2010 to 30 months in prison. He was sent to work release on Jan. 6, 2011, and was released on probation on July 6, according to the Washington Department of Corrections.

Bridges' freedom didn't last long. He's been in the Spokane County Jail since February on unrelated charges of eluding police and kidnapping.
  

A woman accused of stabbing her longtime boyfriend said she wanted a bigger knife so she could cut him deeper, witnesses told police.

Cathleen A. Parke, 50, was arrested Saturday at an apartment on North Washington Street in Medical Lake after deputies found her boyfriend, Steven M. Mitchell, 56, being treated for two stab wounds in his upper body about 5:10 a.m.

Witnesses said the couple were arguing outside when they came inside the house and Mitchell was covered in blood. Mitchell said “I can't believe you stabbed me,” and Parke said she wanted to get a bigger knife so she could cut him deeper, according to court documents.

Parke told another witness that she stabbed Mitchell after he hit her. Spokane County sheriff's deputies seized a 3-inch folding knife from the apartment, as well as a bloody blanket, pillow and clothing.

A bizarre stabbing at a north Spokane apartment late Saturday led to the arrest of a 20-year-old man.

Spokane police say the woman Kurt J. Clausen is accused of stabbing has no idea why he attacked her. She said Clausen said nothing during the incident, which occurred as she exited her bathroom at 49 E. Pine Ridge Ct., according to court documents.

The woman said Clausen was waiting for her with a knife and stabbed her in the upper chest, then dropped the weapon and ran from the apartment about 11:30 p.m., police say.

A Washington State Patrol trooper contacted Clausen just after midnight near West Main Avenue and North Lincoln Street in downtown Spokane. Police responded and arrested him on a first-degree assault charge.

Officers say Clausen admitted to stabbing the woman and said he told her there was something in a room in the apartment, then attacked her as she exited that room, according to court documents.

Clausen remains jailed on$250,000 bond after appearing before Superior Court Judge Annette Plese on Monday.
  

A Spokane man whose three-strikes trial was halted because of concerns about racist comments made by jurors has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

 Bobby S. Galloway, 24, was sentenced to three years in prison for third-degree assault after pleading guilty last week before Superior Court Judge Maryann Moreno.

Galloway already has two convictions for violent felonies. Had he been convicted of first-degree assault as originally charged, a judge would have no choice but to sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Galloway was arrested last May after stabbing a man outside the Top Hat Tavern, 6412 N. Division St.

He was on trial in February, but Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen declared a mistrial after a juror reported inappropriate, racially toned comments being made in the jury room, court officials say.

Two men were arrested for allegedly robbing a teenage woman at at knife-point outside an East Sprague Avenue convenience store last weekend.

Richard Jeffery Lee, 52, is accused of robbing the 19-year-old woman as she exited the Quick E Mart at 4123 E. Sprague Ave. about 8:50 p.m. Friday.

The woman said Lee put a four-inch knife to her throat and demanded money as Rikki Lynn Morrison, 53, stood by.

The woman she she removed all the change and cash from her pockets before Lee and Morrison ran away, according to court documents.  She called 911 from her home in Spokane Valley, and sheriff's deputies located the suspects near the scene of the crime. The victim identified Lee and Morrison as her assailants.

Lee is jailed on $75,000 bond for first-degree robbery. Morrison, who said in court Monday that he didn't do anything, is jailed on $15,000 bond for the same charge.
  

Spokane police saved the life of a suicidal man on Sunday who was armed with a knife.

The 32-year-old man's family had left the location near 1500 E. Pacific Ave. because they were concerned for their safety, police said.

Officers arrived about 7:50 p.m. and the man exited the home with a knife to his throat and told police he wanted to die. He refused their commands and advanced on officers with the knife before they shot him with several bean bag rounds and he dropped the weapon, police say.

The man was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation. He commended officers at the hospital, saying “You were trying to save my life without taking my life,” according to a news release.

“This is an example of a potentially lethal encounter which police face,” according to a news release. “Officers were able to use several of their “less-lethal” tools in this situation to take control of the scene without anyone being seriously injured.”

The National Suicide Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). More information on suicide prevention is available through the Spokane Regional Health District.

Two suspects in a knifepoint robbery at Shopko in January were identified after a store employee realized she knew one from high school.

Blaine Allen Cornwell, 23, is charged with first-degree robbery and three counts of second-degree assault for allegedly threatening three employees at Shopko, 9520 N. Newport Highway, with a knife while stealing merchandise on Jan. 30.

Jaime K. Neel, 24, is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance for allegedly driving Cornwell from he scene.

A store security officer watched Cornwell steal items with Neel after putting new shoes on layaway and providing employee a name of “Blaine,” according to court documents.

Another employee recognized Neel as a former high school classmate and helped police identify the two.

Neel was arrested Tuesday and released from jail on her own recognizance after appearing in court Wednesday.

Cornwell is wanted on a $50,000 warrant.

Spokane Valley police are trying to identify an “aggressive panhandler” who threatened a store manager with a knife on Sunday.

Officer Clay Hilton responded to Harbor Freight near Sprague Avenue and Sullivan Road, where the manager said a panhandler had opened a customer's vehicle door and asked for money about 8 p.m.

She brandished a knife and walked toward the manager when he confronted her, then made an incoherent statement and ran north, police said. She got into a white Ford F-150 truck and drove away.

She was described as white, 5-foo-5 with a thin build. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Panhandling is illegal in Spokane Valley.

Police are looking for a witness in an assault case that could put the defendant in prison for life. 

Morgan S. Snider, 23, (right) is expected to testify in the first-degree assault trial of Bobby S. Galloway, but police said this week that she still has not been located.

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen declared a mistrial Monday in Galloway's case after a juror reported inappropriate, racially toned comments being made in the jury room, court officials say.

Galloway (left) faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of felony assault because he already has two previous convictions for violent felonies.

Galloway, 24, is accused of stabbing Mickey Davis during a fight May 5 outside the Top Hat Tavern, 6412 N. Division St.

His new trial is set to begin April 2. Snider is wanted on misdemeanor driving warrants.

Anyone with information on Snider's location is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

A man accused of stabbing another man to death in downtown Spokane pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a second-degree murder charge.

David J. Fagundes, Jr., 34, is accused of killing Casey W. Anderson, 23, during a fight that included Anderson peppery spraying Fagundes, according to court documents.

Anderson fell into traffic near the intersection of Third Avenue and Howard Street about 4:50 a.m. Feb. 19 with two stab wounds to his back and bite marks on his forehead.

Anderson broke into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, assaulted her and stole her cellphone, police say. He then went to Fagundes’ apartment at 225 S. Wall St., where the men fought and Fagundes bit Anderson on the forehead several times.

The two men fell to the floor and “Anderson apparently ‘fell’ on top of a ‘butterfly knife,’ ” according to documents prepared by police.

Detectives say Fagundes became uncooperative during questioning and tried to grab a concealed firearm. He was disarmed and detained after a brief struggle.

Fagundes has a felony conviction for burglary in Montana in 1996 that prohibits him from possessing firearms. He also has a conviction in Bonner County for felony battery.

Fagundes remains in jail on $100,000 bond after his arraignment Tuesday before Superior Court Judge Annette Plese.

A man was found dead from a stab wound in a downtown Spokane street early Sunday.

The man has not been publicly identified, but suspect David Joseph Fagundes, Jr., 34, has been jailed on a second-degree murder charge.

The victim was found near the intersection of Howard Street and Third Avenue shortly before 5 a.m., according to the Spokane Police Department.

Police dispatched major crimes detectives to the scene. A portion of Third Avenue was closed to traffic for about four hours as police scoured the scene for clues.

Fagundes also faces a charge of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm because of a previous felony conviction, according to the jail roster. '

Fagundes has a felony conviction in Bonner County, Idaho, for felony battery. He also had a misdemeanor warrant there for failing to pay fines on convictions for driving without privileges and failure to provide proof of insurance.
  

A Spokane man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend's new beau turned himself into police Thursday.

Ezra Lawerence Bedeski, 35, faces a first-degree assault charge for the stabbing Tuesday about 9 p.m. outside the Walgreens at 2105 E. Wellesley Ave.

The victim, Jared Reichenberg, 26, needed 13 stitches for a large cut on his neck. Reichenberg said he was going to Walgreens to pick up his girlfriend when he saw Bedeski yelling at her.

Reichenberg told him to leave her alone, and Bedeski “bum rushed him,” according to court documents. There is a restraining order between Bedeski and the woman, according to court documents.

Police attempted to track Bedeski with a police dog Tuesday night but were unsuccessful.

Bedeski was booked into jail Thursday after showing up at the Public Safety Building and requesting a lawyer. He remains in jail on $20,000 bond after appearing today in Spokane County Superior Court.

A man who threatened his former roommate with a knife before ignoring police commands was arrested without incident Tuesday night in Spokane Valley, police said today.

Police say Daniel W. De Long, 43, clinched his fists and “aggressively walked” toward officers after they ordered him to show them his hands.

Officers Lamont Petersen and David Lawhorn physically restrained  De Long, 6-feet tall and 290 pounds, when he appeared to be reaching for his waist area, according to a news release.

Police heard De Long was armed when they were dispatched to a home in the 18700 block of East Valleyway Court for a report of a knife threat. They arrived about 8:30 p.m. to find the front door open and could see De Long arguing with the victim. Police found the knife in the kitchen, where they believe De Long dropped it when he heard them arriving.

The victim told police he was drinking with De Long earlier that night, and De Long pushed his way into his home when he answered the door and yelled at him about clothing, then threatened to stab him with the knife.

De Long was booked into jail for felony second-degree assault and misdemeanor obstructing law enforcement and resisting arrest.

Spokane police are asking for help identifying a man accused of holding a knife to a Safeway employee's throat.

The employee approached the man about stealing items from the store at 2507 W. Wellesley Ave. when he was attacked Jan. 4 about 4:30 p.m., police said today.

The thief threatened to slit the employee's throat and fled on a bicycle with a pocket knife in his hand, police say

The victim described the man as in his late 30s and wearing a dark beanie, button-up flannel shirt and grayish tan Carhartt jacket.

Police released a surveillance photo of the man today.

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

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.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities in southern Wisconsin are facing a tongue twister thanks to the arrest of Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop.

The unusually named 30-year-old man was in jail Sunday in Madison. Police say he violated his bail conditions from a previous run-in with the law.

Court records show that his name used to be Jeffrey Drew Wilschke. He legally changed it in October.

The Capital Times reports that Zopittybop-Bop-Bop was arrested last week after residents complained of excessive drinking and drug use near Reynolds Park in Madison. Authorities say he was arrested in another local park last April after police found a loaded handgun in his backpack.

He's tentatively charged with carrying a concealed knife, and possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana.

Jail records don't list his bail amount or an attorney.

A teenager accused of attempted murder for a knife assault at a party has pleaded not guilty.

Kiana M. Murphy, who turned 18 two days before the Oct. 30 incident, allegedly stabbed a teen boy twice in the stomach during an argument about gang affiliations, according to court documents.

Murphy allegedly chased the boy through the home at 1807 W. Spofford Ave. before he escaped through a bedroom window. When the boy returned, Murphy stabbed him twice in the stomach, police and prosecutors allege.

The victim required surgery but is recovering. He identified Murphy as a suspect through her Facebook page. A witness told police Murphy said the victim was “going to…die” when he returned to the residence, documents say.

Murphy was arraigned Wednesday on a charge of attempted first-degree murder, with first-degree assault as an alternate charge.

She is out of custody awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin on Feb. 21.

A sex offender jailed in California has been charged with trying to rape a Spokane prostitute at knifepoint.

Robert James Barbee, 38, also faces a federal charge of failing to register as a sex offender after investigators say he moved to the area from California without notifying authorities.

He was arrested in Oct. 17 after a woman recognized him as the man who tried to rape her Sept. 25 after she agreed to perform oral sex for $40, according to the Spokane Police Department.

The woman told police was working the corner of East Sprague Avenue and North Magnolia Street when she went with the man to an abandoned house and was attacked. The woman said she fought off the attack and was assisted by patrons at the Rainbow Room, a topless bar.

Police caught up with Barbee Oct. 17 after the woman called 911 and said her attacker approached her friend that day while they were working as prostitutes near Sprague and North Crestline Street. Officers found Barbee near East Second Avenue and South Perry Street, and he told them he'd been attacked by a man who accused him of raping a woman, according to court documents.

Barbee was arrested on a warrant out of California for failing to follow parole conditions for a theft/embezzlement against the elderly conviction. He told police he'd been in Spokane for about five weeks and was staying at the House of Charity.

A federal complaint filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Spokane alleges he failed to register as a sex offender here. He's required to do so because of a 1994 conviction for lewd and lascivious conduct with a 13-year-old child. Barbee last registered as a transient in San Joaquin County, Calif.

Spokane police Detective Brian Hamond says Barbee denied any knowledge of the incident during a phone interview in prison in Elk Grove, Calif. on Dec. 19. Barbee also denied carrying a knife, according to documents prepared by Hamond.

Spokane County prosecutors charged Barbee Dec. 20 with attempted first-degree rape and second-degree assault. He has not yet arrived in Spokane to face charges.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest of a man who tried to rob a Goodwill employee in Coeur d'Alene last month but was thwarted by a witness with a gun.

The man attacked the woman with a knife after she left the store at 1212 N. 4th St. Nov. 28 about 1:55 p.m. to make a bank deposit. The victim told police the man held a knife to her throat and demanded her purse before they struggled and he shoved her to the ground.

A citizen working nearby stopped he attack by pointing a gun at the man, Coeur d'Alene police said today.

The man fled empty handed. He was last seen in the area of 11th Street and Foster Avenue, where he jumped over a fence and continued southbound, police say.

He's described as in his 30s, 6-foot to 6-foot-2 wearing blue jeans and a  black hoodie with possible silver writing on it and the hood pulled over his head.

Anyone with information on the man's identity is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or submit tips online. Tipsters do not have to leave their name to collect a reward but should leave a code name or number.

Police say a man who stole a pair of shoes at knifepoint from the Northtown Mall on Wednesday had asked the store employee for help with his out-of-gas car just before the robbery.

 The employee helped the man pushed his Red Dodge Ram pickup into a parking spot, only to be threatened 30 minutes later after confronting him for stealing a pair of shoes from Champs Sports, police say.

Police identified Jason M. Giles, 33, (pictured) as a suspect on Thursday after he was arrested in a similar robbery at Costco, 7619 N. Division St.

A Costco employee confronted Giles about 4:45 p.m. after observing him hide merchandise in his coat and try to leave the store. Giles punched the employee and bit another employee before pulling a knife and trying to stab another, according to court documents prepared by police.

Giles was arrested on charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and possession of methamphetamine. Detectives met with him at the jail and booked him on an additional robbery charge for the Champs Sports incident.

Giles appeared in Spokane County Superior Court via video from the jail, where he remains on $50,000 bond and a probation hold. He has a previous conviction for second-degree assault for a shooting in 2009.