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

Sex offender, 65, charged with rape

The Spokesman-Review

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department charged a 65-year-old registered sex offender with rape Thursday after he ran out of a house in Coeur d’Alene where a woman was assaulted.

Gary Allen Srery has been charged with rape and battery with intent to commit a serious felony. The victim was a 44-year-old woman, police Sgt. Christie Wood said. The reported assault occurred in the 4900 block of Cougar Circle in Coeur d’Alene, Wood said.

The incident began Wednesday night when the woman met Srery at the Mousetrap bar at 628 W. Appleway Blvd., Wood said. The pair left the bar at closing, Woods added, and Srery drove the woman home, where he attacked her. The woman said the attack lasted several hours. She said she was raped, beaten and choked.

A few minutes after 5 a.m., the woman’s boyfriend arrived at the home and heard her pleas for help. The boyfriend confronted the suspect, who ran out the door.

Wood said Srery’s criminal history dates to 1965 and includes convictions for rape, kidnapping, and assault with intent to commit rape.

Srery is registered in Benewah County as a violent sexual predator.

Spokane

Maple Street closing for reconstruction

Get ready for more barricades.

Crews closed Maple Street today from First to Boone avenues as part of the project to reconstruct the roadway from the Maple Street Bridge to Northwest Boulevard.

On Monday, crews will close the rest of Maple from Boone to Northwest Boulevard, Spokane police Officer Teresa Fuller said.

Ash Street is now open south from Northwest Boulevard. But crews continue to pour concrete at the Northwest and Ash intersection, which remains closed, she said.

Coeur d’Alene

Family members clear woman in robbery

Would the real thief please stand up?

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department arrested a woman Wednesday in connection with a string of recent antique thefts at Wiggetts and Antique Corner.

They found a woman who shared the suspect’s name, Martha Williamson, and three separate witnesses identified Williamson as the culprit in a photo lineup, department spokeswoman Sgt. Christie Wood said.

Based on that identification, charges were filed against Martha R. Williamson.

However, family members called detectives and said the arrested woman had been in the hospital at the time of the thefts. Detectives verified they had the wrong woman and notified prosecutors, who dismissed the charges.

Police continue to consider 71-year-old Martha Williamson, no middle name or initial, a suspect in the thefts, Wood said.

Thomas Clouse

Spokane

Kalispels donate to YMCA-YWCA

The Kalispel Tribe of Indians has donated $200,000 toward the YMCA-YWCA building fund.

The money will be used to help build a new child care center at the Y’s building under construction at 930 N. Monroe St., according to a Thursday press release.

About 250 infants and preschoolers are expected to be served by the children’s center. It will be named in honor of the tribe.

The donation brings the YMCA-YWCA fundraising effort to 72 percent of its $40.5 million goal. The buildings include an 80,000-square-foot facility on North Monroe and a 52,000-square-foot center at 10727 N. Newport Hwy. Completion is expected next year.

The Kalispel Tribe has 393 members. Its reservation is north of Spokane in Usk.

From staff reports