Three burglary suspects arrested

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of burglarizing the home of Ernie Creach, son of Wayne Scott Creach, who was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy in August.

Nicholas Wayne James, 23, of Greenacres, was booked into jail Wednesday after turning himself in to police on a first-degree burglary charge.

Jason E. Cooper, 25, was arrested on the same charge Tuesday. Valen Earl Bussell, 28, was arrested Monday.

Investigators recovered more than 100 items of stolen property linking Bussell to at least five other burglaries in Spokane Valley, said Spokane County sheriff’s Sgt. John Nowels.

James fled to Plummer, Idaho, after the burglary but was driven back to Spokane on Wednesday by his mother, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Other suspects face criminal charges for impeding the investigation, including Edward G. Taylor, 36, who was arrested for making false statements, according to a news release.

Cooper and Bussell are accused of ransacking the Creach home near Eighth Avenue and Best Street on Dec. 15.

Thieves fled when family members arrived home, prompting nearby schools to be on alert as police searched for them.

Investigators on Tuesday found a laptop and bag used to haul stolen property while searching two homes and two cars, police said.