Three arrested after high-speed chase

Three men were apprehended Tuesday after a high-speed pursuit through northeast Spokane that ended with a crash, foot chase and break-in.

The chase began about 9 a.m. at East South Riverton and Mission avenues when Spokane police attempted to pull over a stolen car with three male occupants.

The driver took off, racing west on Mission Avenue, making his way up to Illinois Avenue and Crestline Street, at times driving more than 70 mph. When the driver ran a red light at Illinois and Hamilton Street, police stopped their pursuit, fearing the chase had become too dangerous.

Shortly thereafter, however, the three occupants bailed out of the car, even as it continued running and eventually plowed into a parked car at Cincinnati Street and Montgomery Avenue.

Nearby officers rushed to the scene to begin looking for the men.

Charles Dinning and his wife, Diane, walked out their front door to witness the commotion. “We thought they might be busting a neighbor,” said Charles Dinning, who added that police lately have been battling crime in the neighborhood.

Police caught two suspects in alleys, and found the third hiding in a house under construction on Montgomery Avenue.

He broke into the basement home and was hiding in a crevice between a fireplace and a furnace even as a construction crew worked on the floor above him. The bark of a police dog persuaded him to come out, said Officer Glenn Bartlett.

The suspects have had previous trouble with police, said Officer Jennifer DeRuwe, adding, “They’re all well-known to us.”

One was smoking in the alley just before he was arrested, she said.

Police arrested 25-year-old Joshua D. Graham, the driver of the stolen car, 27-year-old Devon Mack and 22-year-old Channing V. Montez. Charges include taking a motor vehicle without permission, attempting to elude police and burglary for breaking into the home.