County To Publish A ‘Most-Wanted’ List Sheriff’s Officials Seek Information, Believe Listing Will Help Catch Suspects

Some of them have raped, burglarized or attacked people.

Others have failed to show up for court hearings or refused to pay fines for their crimes.

Either way, they are Kootenai County’s most wanted.

And the sheriff’s department wants the public to help find them.

“We all want people to be accountable for their actions and these people are not being accountable,” said Capt. Ben Wolfinger.

The sheriff’s department, in conjunction with the local newspapers, will begin publishing the names of people wanted for crimes committed in Kootenai County.

Every Monday, The Idaho Spokesman-Review will run a list of five people with felony warrants and 20 people with misdemeanor warrants. Look for the list on the Idaho Chronicle page in The Handle.

Among the most wanted are:

George P. Anton, a 68-year-old Coeur d’Alene man, convicted of raping a teenager.

Noe Martinez, 25, of Spokane, wanted for failing to pay a fine after urinating in public.

The sheriff’s department is asking people to call with any information they have on wanted subjects.

“We always are looking for a way to get the community involved and help themselves,” Wolfinger said.

Wolfinger believes the list will help put serious criminals behind bars. At the same time, it will save taxpayer money by reducing the number of warrants and limiting the number of people who must be housed in the county jail for minor crimes.

Many can avoid jail merely by paying their fines, he said. Wolfinger hopes people who see their names will come forward and settle their debts.

Kootenai County modeled its program after one started by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department in Oregon.

In its two years of operation, the Oregon program has cleared 500 warrants, said Yamhill sheriff’s detective Jack Crabtree.

In one case, a man had raped a six-year-old girl and then left town. Another man saw the criminal in the newspaper and turned him in after seeing the rapist at a home with kids.

“I think he may have saved those little girls,” Crabtree said.

Anyone who would like to report the whereabouts of a wanted person can call the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department at (208) 664-1511 or their local law enforcement agency. These calls can remain anonymous.

People who want to contact the court about a warrant should call the Kootenai County Courthouse at (208) 769-4400 or stop by at 324 W. Garden in Coeur d’Alene.

, DataTimes