November 16, 2009 in News, City

Grandmother attacked for driving too slow

Meghann M. Cuniff The Spokesman-Review

One man grabbed her phone before she could call 911, breaking her hand in front of her husband and grandchildren as he screamed at the family for driving too slowly.

The other ripped the license plate off his own car in an apparent attempt to conceal his and the other attacker’s identities after cutting short the family’s leisurely drive to look at neighborhood Halloween decorations.

As her husband sat in their car, unable to leave his oxygen supply because of medical problems, Deborah Logsdon asked a neighbor to call police. The assailants, she said, were furious at her for her unhurried pace.

The family’s story is detailed in court documents prepared by Spokane detectives, who arrested two brothers on charges of assault and robbery last week in connection with the attack.

Yakov A. Topik, 25, and Sergey A. Topik, 21, appeared Monday in Spokane County Superior Court on four additional counts of unlawful imprisonment for allegedly refusing to let the family drive away.

Both men remain in Spokane County Jail.

The brothers were taken into custody Nov. 11, one week after a Spokane police detective identified them as suspects in the road rage incident on East Bridgeport Avenue and North Ralph Street in Spokane.

Logsdon, who required surgery for her broken hand, said she twice told the men to leave after they blocked her car, according to the affidavit.

Yakov Topik demanded an apology for her slow pace, then grabbed her phone as she tried to call 911, police said. The struggle broke Logsdon’s hand, and Topik kept her cell phone and ran away, police said. A neighbor called police.

Logsdon told detectives Topik’s younger brother drove away after tearing off their car’s front license plate and bending the back plate to obscure the numbers. But Logsdon and her husband, Ray Logsdon, gave police a plate number close enough to help identify the Topiks as suspects.

Bail for Yakov Topik was set Monday at $35,000. Sergey Topik’s bail was set at $10,000. He’s also charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle in connection with an unrelated arrest in January.

Each must post an additional $50,000 on the assault and robbery charges to be released.

15 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

cryssT on November 16 at 9:09 p.m.
animals, they’re just animals. but we’re civilized - so just lock them away until they are old and weak.
TWOSTROKE on November 16 at 9:49 p.m.
They come to this country thinking they are free to do whatever. No jail time for them, just send them back.
0U812 on November 16 at 9:56 p.m.
Terrible incident indeed. Also terrible to see comments related to ethnicity— it has less to do with where “they” are from as simple brutish, antisocial behavior. Don’t forget, unless you’re Native American, we’re all immigrants, just depends on when you came to this country. Typical Spokane reaction — stereotype and racially-oriented. Hope Grandma’s doing better. They deserve to be locked up for a long time.
Erik_T on November 16 at 10:03 p.m.
What is with these young Eastern European males around here. Bad upbringing??? I also find that their parents are generally rude, and without any sense of manners when I have encountered, and watched them encounter others in public.
Last night I watched as an ethnic Eastern European man in his 50’s almost knock down a woman standing in line at a store. No excuse me, or simply walking around the line. He just walked right through her as if she was not even present. He did not even make a gesture as to any indifference towards the occurance. He simply kept on walking, as if the woman had been in his way, and she deserved what she got….
This is not the first time I have witnessed this locally. What is the deal??? I still open doors for women, watch my tongue when around them, and respect my elders. I wonder what it is that makes others not do these same things. I was not raised in this manner, however I know the difference between right and wrong.
Many of you may think that it is wrong for me to label an ethnic group as such, or associate them with wanton acts of disrespect. However, it is happening, and I am going to say it.
Uptight_Spokanite on November 16 at 10:21 p.m.
Well, it certainly was wrong for these two thuggish ruffians to hurt that old grandma but let me put it this way, if you choose to drive slow in a neighborhood where a garage sale is just setting up and you impede Eastern European family members racing there, well, you only have yourself to blame.
MigratedFromTriCities on November 16 at 10:37 p.m.
I am the same age as these two young boys… and I cannot believe the nerve of them. I understand brothers fight each other (in the tween years), but attacking a defenseless woman while her HUSBAND and GRANDCHILDREN are with her?
This is just as sick as rape, or murder. They are lucky it was not my grandmother.
flutieflakes on November 16 at 11:18 p.m.
“This is just as sick as rape, or murder.”
It was despicable and this act shouldn’t be tolerated and they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. But let’s keep this in perspective, he grabber her phone and broke her hand in the struggle.
jfintz on November 17 at 5:53 a.m.
Ruskies/E. Europeans, whatever. Look at those crazy low bails after a brutal attack and possession of a stolen car.
Typical wash, rinse, repeat criminals. Give them something to think about like a few years in the crowbar hotel or deport them if not permanent citizens.
DrChas on November 17 at 7:08 a.m.
We can only hope that the Bureau Of Immigration is on top of this one!
BT on November 17 at 7:32 a.m.
This concerns me! We have young men out there taking out their aggressions on our elders! We need more patrol officers on the streets and higher bails on these folks! We need to take control over criminals, not edcuate, not rehabilitate them! Remember the 3 strikes your out law! Give me a break..this was a senseless crime bring back capital punishment in the U.S.A. we need to close our borders, and ship all criminals to the Iran, Iraq if they live they can return if not…oh well one less criminal in our country and justice has prevailed!
mmsteers on November 17 at 7:37 a.m.
I think it is really scarey that kids these days are under the impression that they are allowed to do anything they feel like doing. They need to be dealt with as if they’ve done something wrong! The poor Lady, out with her family, trying to have a nice time has to be attacked like that. I am willing to bet that if someone had done something like this to their Grandmother it wouldn’t have been ok.
I also happen to think that there are people who come here thinking they have their own set of laws, they don’t. They need to know what our laws are and stick with them or leave!
Scipios on November 17 at 4:06 p.m.
thats bull crap!! i saw the whole thing through my window!. that so called gramama attacked first. what do you do when some half crazed lady attacks you or starts choking you?? thats right you defend your self. hell i know i would, granma or not. why didnt they print that in the paper? i would say she is more at fault. she could of drove off.. nothing was blocking her too..but no she got out of her car. that is what i witnessed to. how about you get both side of the story before you past judgement..the grandma is at fault for road rage also. you think she is innocent because she is some defenseless old lady ? she behaved no better. what proof does the news paper have to print these lies? because they took her side of the story makes it true? sad..why didnt they interview people on the block who saw what really happend? maybe the real truth will probably shock you.
Erik_T on November 17 at 5:19 p.m.
Interesting.
Quantum_cuda on January 15 at 8:54 p.m.
This is all rubbish taken out of context and there is alot information that was not mentioned about the people involved do a search of Deborah Logsdon, she i no helpless grandma as told here, she is a jail guard trained to deal with criminals an if necessary take them to the ground in pursuit. As a matter of a fac she has been a jail guard for over 20 years. Next take a look at Yakov Topik who has no prior criminal background and i believe was wrongfully accused. the facts all need to be bought out before people should cast judgement on a case that will potentially ruin a young mans life and take away his freedom in the prime years of his life. so i sa\y this: do your homework people!!
YashaTopik on January 16 at 4:40 p.m.
Whats wrong with all of you? Do you bealive everything the media feeds you without wondeirng what really happened?? Where any of you there? People open you’r eyes and you will see the Truth. Does the truth hurt?. Maybe your the uncivilized animals that refuse to open their eyes because the real world and the absolute truth will hurt. Why point finger at a race and blame them for everything when you cant find an answer. I’m sick of seeing other races singled out because of Fear and ignorance, Hate is the consequence of fear we fear something before we hate it. A person who fears another race, another skin color hates them. I read all the comments and cant help being angry from the stupidity. But i feel bad for all of you more then i am angry. You are being feed BS and you don’t even bother to find out what the truth is. A Poor grandma? really How about granny is a Jail guard? How about the poor grandma pulling over behind the car that just passed her over at the drivers own properly and flying out of her car screaming citizen arrest, Stating she works for the police department? how about the fact that everything was seen by multiple witness on how the poor old lady started choking and ripping the drivers shirt. How long will people who think they are above the law get away with crimes? Have all of you forgot the story of Pastor W. Scott Creech who got killed by the police? How about Tyrone Thomas, an African American who was shot and killed by Spokane Police. How about Otto Zehm, who died in police custody? Do any of you people really know whats going on? THIS IS NOT JUSTICE, THIS IS LAW ENFORCEMENT ABUSE AND CORRUPTION. How long will people of different skin color and races be persecuted because of someones hate and fear? I was there when it happened, I was the driver. Police broke in to my parents house without any warrants, their house was trashed, Everything was turned upside down. Holes were punched in walls, Doors were bashed apart. Do you know whats that’s like. Do you know how it feels to go to jail because of racism and false acusation? I do and so do other countless people of different races and skin colors. The Spokane police needs to be policed. Before you haters make racist comments maybe you should sit down and realize that ALL PEOPLE ARE THE SAME. SKIN COLOR AND DIFFERENT RACES DO NOT MATTER, all man was created equally. What matters is how you were raised and how you live life, not by skin color or race. I feel for other people that have been abused and accused by the police. i know whats its like to be tormented by them because of fear and i have this to say to all the people that were falsely accused and went through hardship, If God is for you, no one can come against you. And this is to the old crazy lady that pulled this off. Psalm 7:15-16 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.” Whatever you give out to others, God will eventually give back to you. This is the basic nature of God’s Justice. …they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness,reap the same.” (Job 4:8. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity…
Even though Debrah make me sick to the point of makeing me puke i forgive her, along will all the cops that accted improper and all the people that left the hatfull racist comments.