Sand, Gravel Dumped In Rockford; Teen Charged

Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Rockford teenager on Tuesday, accusing him of breaking into a gravel pit and driving around town in a tractor dumping loads of sand and gravel.

Jay Justin Fricke, 18, of 24306 S. Harvard Road, was booked into the Spokane County Jail on charges of second-degree burglary and reckless burning, sheriff’s deputies said.

Residents had called police when they saw a man dumping sand and gravel at various places around town. A deputy sent to investigate discovered a broken gate and damaged fence at the Rockford gravel pit. He also found an abandoned tractor stuck in brush and weeds near the intersection of Harvard and Hoxie Roads, and a small wildfire burning nearby.

The deputy called fire officials and left to look for a suspect. He later returned to find Fricke at the location of the fire.

Sheriff’s Department officials said they couldn’t comment on a motive of the crime.

The tractor belonged to Fricke’s grandfather, they said.

, DataTimes