Briefly

Man accused of using hammer in attack

A 21-year-old Spokane man was arrested for domestic assault after two witnesses said he attacked them with a hammer.

Deputy Ken Reed was called to an apartment in the 5000 block of East Buckeye at about 4:45 a.m. Friday after a 24-year-old woman was able to escape and call 911, sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said in a press release.

The woman pointed out the suspect across the parking lot and Reed arrested 21-year-old Marcelino Olvera Jr., of 7317 N. Hamilton, Reagan said.

The incident occurred after the woman agreed to give Olvera and another man a ride to her apartment. She told Olvera that she didn’t want him to stay, Reagan said.

Once inside, the suspect demanded to stay and pushed the victim and the other man into a bedroom. When the woman began to scream, the suspect grabbed a hammer and threatened both her and the man, Reagan said.

When the woman tried to reach the telephone, the suspect bit her, Reagan said. He tried to strike her with the hammer but she ducked and hit the wall instead, Reagan said.

The other man was able to wrest the hammer away from the suspect. However, the woman wasn’t able to call authorities until the man left at 4:45 a.m. with her purse, Reagan said.

Reed booked Olvera into jail on two counts of second-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment, Reagan said.

Felon gets 10 years in prison for gun charge

James S. Jordan has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on a gun charge.

Jordan, 29, was arrested Feb. 18 after police went to a Spokane Valley home to investigate a drug complaint, according to a press release from the Spokane Valley Police Department. Jordan was standing in the driveway and police found a shotgun nearby they determined belonged to the convicted felon.

Jordan eventually pleaded guilty to owning an unregistered firearm.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Whaley sentenced him to 10 years in prison Friday, according to the press release. The investigation was coordinated through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a partnership of law enforcement agencies to investigate gun crimes.

Man charged with firing gun during card game

A man wanted accused of firing a gun into the floor during a card game was arrested Monday morning when he showed up for classes at Spokane Falls Community College, police said.

Patrol officers arrested Michael D. Charles, 19, for reckless endangerment and illegal possession of a firearm at about 10:30 a.m.

The arrest followed an incident at 9 p.m. Saturday at an apartment in the 3700 block of North Cook, police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a press release.

Witnesses said Charles was playing cards with several other people when someone corrected Charles’ pronunciation of a word. Witnesses said Charles stood up, pulled a gun from his waist and fired one round into the floor.

The bullet went through the floor and hit about two feet from a girl who was lying on a couch in the unit below, Cottam said.

Several people at the party identified Charles as the shooter. Officers learned he was enrolled at SFCC and were waiting when Charles showed up for classes, Cottam said.

Murderer pleads guilty to weapons charge

A convicted murderer living in Fairfield pleaded guilty Monday to unlawful possession of a firearm and felony harassment.

Alvin C. Wright, 69, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the 1977 shooting death of his wife, appeared Monday before Superior Court Judge Jerome Leveque, sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said in a press release.

Wright originally pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for shooting his wife several times with a shotgun in their home on Valley-Chapel Road just outside of Fairfield.

However, that conviction was overturned in federal court. In 1988, Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was released for time served, Reagan said.

In February 2003, Wright’s new wife told deputies that Wright owned several guns in violation of his probation restrictions. She also said Wright warned her of having the same feelings he had prior to killing his first wife, Reagan said.

Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for January. The standard range of sentencing for those two offenses is 21 to 27 months, Reagan said.

School raises warning about fund-raising activity

The West Valley School District wants Spokane Valley citizens to be aware of a possible suspicious fund-raising activity.

The district has received several reports of people identifying themselves as “students from an alternative school” raising money for the district, said Sue Shields, public relations director for the district.

They promise a pen or a T-shirt in return for cash donations.

None of the West Valley high schools, including the two alternative schools – Spokane Valley High School and Contract Based Education – is fund raising at this time, Shields said.

The reports have been forwarded to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone approached by individuals claiming to be raising funds from the district should call Crime Check at 456-2233 or the district at 924-2150.

Driver arrested in chase that wrecked three cars

Police arrested an 18-year-old Spokane man Sunday after he attempted to outrun them in a chase that ended in three-car wreck, authorities said.Spokane Police Sgt. Craig Meidl saw two cars racing southbound on Five Mile Road on Sunday morning, and he attempted to stop one of the drivers, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

The driver sped away and tried to turn from Belt Street onto Francis but was traveling too fast to make the turn, Cottam said. The fleeing car smashed into an oncoming car and forced that vehicle into a third car, Cottam said.

Meidl ordered the driver out of the disabled car. He was identified as 18-year-old Nikolay M. Semenikhin.

None of the drivers was injured in the collision, Cottam said. But an elderly passenger in one of the cars complained of pains and was taken by ambulance to an area hospital for an examination, Cottam said.

Semenikhin was booked into jail on suspicion of felony attempting to elude, Cottam said.

Spokane Search and Rescue disavows group

A group calling itself the Washington State Search and Rescue Council is soliciting donations in the Spokane area, sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said.

Callers are telling residents to give money to “all state search and rescue operations,” Reagan said in a press release.

However, Deputy Tom Walker said the group has never given money to Spokane Search and Rescue.

“They have been banned from Idaho and they have a lawsuit pending in Oregon,” Walker said. “Spokane County citizens need to know that if they donate, their money is going somewhere other than the Spokane area.”

Patty Duke to undergo heart surgery

Coeur d’Alene Actress Patty Duke checked into Kootenai Medical Center over the weekend, complaining of chest pains, and has a single-bypass surgery scheduled for midweek, her nephew Mike Kennedy said Monday.

Duke, as this year’s chairwoman of the Festival of Trees – the holiday fund-raiser that benefits the Kootenai Medical Foundation – had recently toured the Coeur d’Alene hospital and its new heart surgery program.

Kennedy said his aunt was told she has “an excellent prognosis” for recovery and fully expects to fulfil her duties as chair of the Festival.