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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Police Arrest Man For Gun Possession

This Cleaver is no Beaver.

Spokane police arrested 29-year-old Terry Lee Cleaver after they found him lying in the front seat of a Buick with a 16-year-old female runaway, a .357 Magnum and dozens of $2 bills scattered in the car, according to police spokesman Dick Cottam.

Police responded to the 3500 block of East Queen just before 2 a.m. on Nov. 11 on a report of shots fired.

Officers left after finding no witnesses and nothing to indicate injuries or damage, he said.

Officers returned to the area an hour later and saw the Buick. During a routine questioning of Cleaver, police spotted the semi-automatic handgun behind Cleaver’s back.

A background check showed that Cleaver had a felony conviction, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm, police said.

The girl was a runaway from a local court-ordered facility. She was booked into juvenile detention.

Cleaver, who gave his address as 3210 N. Park, was booked into jail as a felon in possession of a firearm.

He is also a suspect in a recent robbery in which several hundred $2 bills were stolen along with two handguns, Cottam said.

The investigation continues.

Skateboarders robbed

Two skateboarding teenagers were robbed as they skateboarded at 2 a.m. on Nov. 15.

They told police they were skateboarding in a parking lot north of Nora between Wall and Post when a pickup stopped and two men jumped out, said police spokesman Dick Cottam.

The suspects approached the victims and demanded money. They tried to run, but the suspects said they had weapons.

The robbers took some money, ran through an alley and escaped. The driver, who had stayed in the truck, left the scene, police said.

The robbers were described as white males, about 16- or 17-years-old, wearing dark, baggy clothing and stocking caps. They arrived in a blue Toyota pickup with a white stripe, Cottam said.

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

Woman seriously hurt

A Deer Park woman was seriously hurt when she drove her car off the road and rolled it several times before it came to rest on the passenger side.

Alicia J. Forkner, 18, was taken by ambulance to Holy Family Hospital early on the morning of Nov. 18 after she suffered a fractured neck, wrist and a concussion near the intersection of Monroe Road and Austin Road in North Spokane County, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The WSP said Forkner failed to negotiate a curve on a wet road and went through a wire fence and rolled the 1986 Dodge several times. Forkener was not wearing a seatbelt.

Telephone scam hits Spokane

Spokane Police and the Washington Attorney General’s office are warning people to be cautious about phone calls saying they’ve won prizes.

As with most scams, a recent one in Spokane is targeting older women, said Cottam.

Authorities said a Spokane woman recently received a call at her home. The man on the phone told her she had won $80,000 but would have to pay $4,700 in taxes. The woman contacted the state Attorney General’s office.

Cottam said anyone who receives calls about having won money, vacations, cars or other expensive prizes should be cautious.

If obtaining the prize is ever tied to the winner paying taxes or fees, it’s probably a scam, Cottam said.

, DataTimes