Security Guard Chases Theft Suspect

A department store security officer - aided by a customer who offered a ride - caught a woman accused of stealing clothes from the store last Thursday, said Sheriff’s Lt. David Wiyrick.

The chase began at Fred Meyer’s, 15609 E. Sprague, when the security officer noticed a woman stuffing clothing into her bag, Wiyrick said. The security officer told sheriff’s deputies a second person then handed the woman another piece of clothing, which she also put into the bag.

Sue Ann Hughes, 33, was arrested in a nearby grocery store parking lot and charged with second-degree trafficking in stolen property.

Deputies said Hughes left the store without paying for the clothes and ran across the parking lot while the security officer chased her.

She threw down her purse, flagged down a car on Sprague and rode off, the security officer told deputies. The security officer accepted a ride offered by a Fred Meyer customer and called 911 on a cellular telephone while following the car.

The fleeing suspect got out of the car in a grocery store parking lot, then she ran again, the security officer told deputies.

The security officer caught her in the parking lot. The woman continued to fight the security officer while they waited for deputies to arrive, Wiyrick said.

Hughes was booked into the Spokane County Jail

The driver who gave Hughes a ride was not involved, Wiyrick said.

Suspicious fire guts truck

A fire that ripped through the cab of a flatbed truck last week was probably intentionally set, investigators said.

The truck, owned by Arrow House Moving Co., had a garage loaded onto its bed when the fire started at Third and Carnahan last Thursday. Firefighters saved the garage, but could not salvage the cab.

A passerby reported smoke pouring out of the truck about 9:30 p.m.

The fire started on the driver’s side and was probably intentionally set, said Paul Chase, Valley Fire District fire marshall.

Greg Munyon, owner of Arrow House Moving Company which owns the truck, said the 500-square-foot garage was set to be moved on Friday.

Fire destroys shed

Flames leaped through a shed in the Valley last Friday, destroying the shed and its contents.

Kellie Hansonl, who rents the house the shed sits behind at 4323 N. Best, was not home when the fire started about 4:30 p.m. Hansonl’s children, who were at home, told investigators they did not know how the fire started.

Hansonl rents the house from Dan Simpson Realty.

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the shed.

Damage was estimated at $1,000. The shed was insured.

Teen sprayed with mace

A 15-year-old boy was sprayed with mace and hit in the back of the head while he walked through a Valley department store last week.

Medics treated Zach Wood at Kmart, 15303 E. Sprague, last Thursday. Wood complained that his eyes and face were burning and that his head hurt.

An employee told medics two men came into the store about 8:20 p.m., sprayed the teenager with mace and hit him in the back of the head with a fire extinguisher.

Wood was taken to Valley Hospital and Medical Center where he was treated for the burning to his eyes and face, a large cut to the back of his head and hyperventilation.

Argument leads to fight

A 20-year-old Spokane man was arrested early Saturday after hitting himself in the head with a wine bottle, throwing knives at a man and stabbing and biting a woman, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department.

Edward J. Weisen, of 327-1/2 S. Washington, Apt. B, was booked into the Spokane County Jail for third-degree felony assault.

Weisen allegedly was arguing with a woman at a home in the 18500 block of East Cowley and became abusive. A man at the residence called 911, but hung up. Weisen then became enraged and began screaming and hitting himself in the head with a wine bottle, according to the sheriff’s department.

Weisen then reportedly went into the kitchen, grabbed several knives and threatened people. He threw knives at one man, inflicting minor cuts in the man’s head and shoulders. The male victim charged Weisen and suffered a cut to his hand and thumb when grabbing a knife away.

After a short time, the fight started again. An 18-year-old woman tried to intervene, and Weisen cut and bit her in the hand, according to the sheriff’s department.

Deputies responded to the home shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday and spotted Weisen running east.

Deputies handcuffed Weisen and put him in a patrol car, but Weisen slipped the handcuffs to the front of him and started hitting the rear window. He was handcuffed again with his hands behind him. He then slipped the handcuffs to the front of him again and started beating the car’s windows and beating his head, according to the sheriff’s department.

Weisen was placed in handcuffs again and placed in leg restraints.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Brian Coddington Staff writer Staff writer Kim Barker contributed to this report.