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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Crash injures three, leads to chase

The Spokesman-Review

A collision near the Canadian border Monday sent federal agents on a chase through the woods.

At about 3:15 p.m., two cars collided near mile marker 15 north of Metaline Falls, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Three victims were flown by helicopter to Spokane for treatment of unspecified injuries, said Special Operations Supervisor Lonnie Moore.

One person fled and ran down an embankment toward the Pend Oreille River. Agents followed tracks and found the man 300 to 400 yards downstream hiding along the bank.

The suspect, whose identity was being withheld, was taken into custody and turned over to Washington State Patrol troopers, Moore said. Border Patrol has no jurisdiction over automobile accidents, Moore said, and the agents responded because they were the closest law enforcement agency.

The cause of the crash was still under investigation Monday night.

Moscow, Idaho

Men rescue driver from burning car

Two Latah County men rescued a driver from a fiery Sunday afternoon crash near Moscow.

William Kirsch and David Bennett heard Wesley Graham Orr, 61, crash into a ditch and roll his vehicle about 4 p.m. on Lenville Road, according to the Latah County Sheriff’s Office.

When the two men rushed to the vehicle to help, they found Orr trapped inside as it burned.

They cut Orr’s seat belt to pull him from the vehicle. The Moscow Fire Department extinguished the fire.

Orr suffered minor injuries and was treated at Gritman Medical Center. He was also ticketed for inattentive driving and not having a driver’s license.

Pasco

Man allegedly had 223 grams of meth

A Pasco man was arrested Friday as part of an ongoing investigation into methamphetamine distribution in the Clarkston-Lewiston area.

The Quad Cities Drug Task Force arrested Braulio Ramirez Garcia, 27, with 223 grams of meth in his possession, officers said.

According to a news release, meth is selling in that area for $100 to $125 per gram, making the bust a $22,000-$28,000 confiscation.

Spokane

Man jailed on molestation charge

A man spent his 45th birthday in jail Saturday night after police say he molested a 10-year-old girl at a family fun center.

In recently filed court documents, police detectives said Justin W. Smith took the girl to his 1990 Pontiac station wagon, smoked marijuana while the girl sat inside, then molested her.

The girl was attending a birthday party at Wonderland Family Fun Center in north Spokane in March when her parents noticed she and Smith were missing.

The girl’s father went out to the parking lot to search for the girl and saw his daughter appearing to button up her pants while standing at the passenger door of Smith’s station wagon.

The girl later told investigators Smith touched her while they were both in the car.

Smith, who turned 45 while in jail this weekend, faces a charge of first-degree child molestation.

Reward offered for wanted man

Secret Witness is offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest of a man wanted for escape.

Shawn Allen Barton, 35, has a criminal history that includes convictions for possession of controlled substances, possession of stolen property, attempt to elude police, vehicle thefts and residential burglary, said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Dave Reagan.

Barton is described as white, 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, Reagan said. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call (509) 327-5111. Tipsters do not have to give their name to collect the reward, but should leave a code name or number.

Armenians to mark Ottoman genocide

Spokane Armenians will join ethnic Armenians around the world today in commemorating the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

A 6:30 p.m. observance at St. Gregorios Syrian Orthodox Church, 2803 N. Lincoln, will include prayers, discussion and a talk by Whitworth College psychology professor James Waller. The public is invited. A potluck dinner will follow.

The observance marks the first genocide of the 20th century in which a triumvirate of Turkish military leaders who seized power in a 1913 coup launched the systematic extermination of an estimated two million Armenians beginning April 24, 1915.

The Turks also attacked other minorities within the Ottoman Empire, including Syrian and Assyrian Christians, Greeks, and Maronites, according to a statement by St. Gregorios Church.

From staff and wire reports