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April 13, 2010 in City
Spike strips help stop fuel theft suspect
Richard Lee Trower at the Benewah County Jail in 2008.
(Full-size photo)
A police chase in Spokane early Tuesday ended with the arrest of a man suspected in a series of fuel heists in the Inland Northwest.
Richard L. Trower, 37, was driving a stolen Honda Accord when officers used spike strips to flatten the tires during a chase on East Trent Avenue after 2 a.m., according to court documents prepared by Spokane police.
Trower was arrested after a cruiser bumped the back of the Honda as he drove on the wheel rims.
His passenger, 28-year-old Ambur R. Bay, was arrested on a drug charge.
It’s the second arrest in two months for the duo, who police believe may be involved in an interstate fuel theft ring that triggered a massive drug and stolen property investigation by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation began in November when sheriff’s Sgt. John Nowels used a computer database to track what he suspected was a trend in commercial burglaries and fuel thefts.
About that same time, Coeur d’Alene police named Trower as a suspect in a string of burglaries in which thieves cut fence locks and siphon fuel from holding tanks.
Spokane police detectives believe Trower is an associate of the suspects arrested in a stolen property investigation on March 23, including 36-year-old Cole T. Monson, but Trower has not been charged.
Trower and Bay were arrested Feb. 2 after a traffic stop near Howe and Mallon about 2 a.m.
Trower was driving a 1989 Chevy S10 pickup with two large fuel tanks in the back, as well as a pump and hose.
Detectives believe one of tanks was stolen from Coast Crane, 3920 E. Boone, on Oct. 12, and the other from Cruz, 16707 E. Euclid, on Jan. 26, according to a search warrant.
Trower told police he was in the process of buying the truck when he was stopped in February. Another man, Michael D. Sherrard, 50, was arrested while driving the same pickup in November, according to court documents.
Trower left jail shortly after his arrest in February on a driving while suspended charge, but he returned early Tuesday after the chase with Spokane police. He’s in Spokane County Jail on $25,000 bail after appearing in Superior Court Tuesday afternoon on charges of possession of stolen motor vehicle and attempting to elude police.
Bay was held on $2,500 bail for drugs police say they found during the stop.
Trower has an extensive criminal history, including a 2007 conviction in Spokane County for attempting to elude police.
Sex trafficking suspects released as probe continues 
lewis8457 on April 13 at 8:59 a.m.
story should read
police today did 2500 dollars of damage to a patrol car while trying to stop a stolen car worth 900 bucks, which is now worth even less now that it has 4 flat tires.
i bet the owner is going to be so happy to get his car back.
rob_brewer on April 13 at 9:20 a.m.
Lewis: do you suggest that they let this type of criminal behavior occur without doing anything simply because it is not cost effective?
UvulaCrusher on April 13 at 9:22 a.m.
No, Lewis, the story should read as it does.
The police are not protecting us to get our vehicles back in pristine condition. That’s what INSURANCE is for.
The blue book value isn’t typically what they are considering when getting someone off the road.
Maybe you should suggest that at the next City Council meeting.
The bodily injury and property damage of a vehicle does not correlate to it’s retail value. Additionally, they waited until a safer opportunity to get the vehicle off the road, instead of engaging in a high speed chase.
It’s a nice bonus that the stolen car didn’t smash in to someone you love or care about later in the day.
I’m sure the men and women in blue understood your ‘thanks’.
; )
eagleproducer on April 13 at 9:36 a.m.
Note to self: Don’t be in the vicinity of 2nd and Thor at 2 a.m.
spokanecommunistparty on April 13 at 10:49 a.m.
Welcome to Liberty City
misjustice on April 13 at 11:04 a.m.
Must have been Lewis’s friend they arrested.
Way to go Spokane Police. Doing your job as you were hired to do!
dougfresh on April 13 at 11:20 a.m.
Ahhh the spoko meth heads back at it. Can we just send all these crackheads to a desert island?
BigE on April 13 at 1:29 p.m.
Is anyone out at 2am doing anything constructive, maybe driving home from work ?
I like the desert island for all of our special Spokane meth heads, let them rot their brain in private, that way I don’t have to look at them everyday, yes we see you.
They could clean, organize, be paranoid together, busy work and our crime rate would go down.
douglasmielke on April 13 at 2:58 p.m.
My daughter’s 1994 Honda has been stolen twice in the last six weeks from a well lighted apartment complex on the lower South Hill. Both times it was started with a key that had been shaved or modified to work in the door lock as well as the ignition. It was recovered by the police both times. The first time no damage was done other than stealing a bag of personal items from inside the car. The second time it was stolen -the night of April 11th, it was recovered the next morning with the radio/cd player ripped from the dash and all the wheels and tires missing. Perhaps this same clown was involved. Hurray for the Spokane Police Dept. At least they are making arrests and slowing down the stolen Honda nightmare that is going on in Spokane. Now it is up to the legal system to make sure a more lasting punishment than a slap on the hands is received by these criminals.
spokanecommunistparty on April 13 at 3:21 p.m.
Grand Theft Auto 5 should based on Spokane
spokanecommunistparty on April 13 at 3:23 p.m.
Dear Rockstar Games, Spokane is the best city in the world!!!!!
west on April 13 at 7:13 p.m.
This creep,loser, needs 15 years at WW!
Another_Perspective on April 13 at 8:40 p.m.
I wonder if we could put some spike strips around Olympia to keep the thieves there from robbing our paychecks?
misjustice on April 13 at 10:33 p.m.
Unfortunately, the Prosecuting Attorney’s office and Judges in the legal system seem to be operating on the “catch and release” theory; SPD catches these crooks, and they release them back into society.
Geez…how bad and how prolific do you have to be to be kept locked up in this town???
smarg on April 14 at 4:39 a.m.
Hey, he’s just another Demoncrap/Obama voter! Gotta let him out so he can vote!!
jen0813 on July 11 at 1:51 a.m.
This man has been in trouble with the law enough timesthat there should be no reason for him to be out again. In Aug of 07 he murdred Karl Fijalka and walked away from that, what is it going to take for justice to be done our court system is a joke