Spokane7
67°
December 29, 2011 in City, Idaho
Police say arrests end alleged ring
Eight in custody are linked to dozens of burglaries
Police on Wednesday arrested the last of eight people suspected in a monthslong residential burglary spree that traumatized victims stretching from Spokane to North Idaho.
Beginning in August, authorities across the region received dozens of reports of burglaries that followed a common theme. People would knock on the door and offer services, such as firewood sales or dog-walking. Some witnesses reported people saying they were looking for a friend, police reports show.
When no one answered, police say, the door would be kicked in and valuables stolen. Stolen items ranged from guns and knives to a model sailboat, Tiffany jewelry, flat-screen televisions and furniture. Reports came from victims in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Rathdrum, Hayden, unincorporated Kootenai County, Sandpoint and Spokane.
At 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the last of eight suspects – Susan N. Burke, also known as Susan Church, 50, of Spokane – was arrested in the 100 block of East Indiana Avenue. On Monday afternoon, Jesse A. Williamson, 27, of Post Falls, turned himself in to authorities, a news release from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department said.
Around midnight on Friday, Joseph A. Lynch, 29, of Coeur d’Alene, was arrested at the Days Inn hotel on Third Avenue in Spokane through a joint effort between the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force and the Spokane Police Department.
The other suspects in custody are Kathleen E. Kelly, 29, and Emily A. Lynch, 28, both of Coeur d’Alene; Heather D. Yao, also known as Heather Perry, 31, Adam C. Ramirez III, 29, and Kasie D. Gordon, 25, all of Post Falls.
Several of the suspects are scheduled for preliminary hearings Jan. 6 in Kootenai County 1st District Court.
Witness statements, crime mapping and cooperation among multiple police agencies in Spokane and North Idaho led authorities to the suspects, a statement from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department said.
Police reports show a Thanksgiving Day traffic stop of Ramirez and Williamson led to Ramirez’s arrest on suspicion of drug charges. Police said both men had “unusual amounts of loose jewelry” with them. In addition, Ramirez’s vehicle matched descriptions given by witnesses.
During the traffic stop, Williamson told police he had “knowledge of all the burglaries occurring in the area.” He then gave them details of burglaries and led them to homes that had been hit, police reports show.
He also gave detectives multiple pieces of jewelry, including a ring off his finger, saying they were stolen.
Several of the suspects’ residences were searched, where multiple pieces of jewelry, household items and furniture were recovered. Kelly told police she rented a moving van for Joseph Lynch, Ramirez and Burke so that stolen property could be trucked to Seattle and sold at an antique market, reports show.
Williamson told police about a secret compartment in Kelly’s bedroom closet which detectives found during a search of her home. In it, they found bags of jewelry and household items, police reports show.
At Kelly’s home, where she lived with her two children, detectives also found what they believed to be methamphetamine, along with uncapped syringes “within reach and access to (a) small child.”
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Bill_Jackman on December 29 at 8:36 a.m.
I applaud the law enforcement officers that apprehended these alledged felons. Now it’s up to the prosecutors to seek justice.
I wonder if Tucker will prosecute or reduce the charges?
CollingwoodCDA on December 29 at 9:23 a.m.
Oh, K. Kelly. Another childhood friend whom I actually had a crush on back in 7th grade (her hair was a little better in ‘96, I promise).
Randomly thought of her the other day, wonderin’ what she was up to. This post put that question to rest. Sad.
Seeing more and more of the kids I grew up with littering the warrant lists. It’s the only part of the CDA Mess I read.
mrd on December 29 at 9:54 a.m.
The power of drugs. Seems like most crimes involve drugs or alcohol. Put these idiots away for a long time.
SugarShane on December 29 at 1:09 p.m.
LOL @ mrd
Most crimes involve poverty, the haves and the have nots.
Way to reduce everything to being about “those evil drugs”. If we spent half as much treating addiction as we do trying to control consumption we may have fewer meth heads robbing people.
You can’t cure an addict by sending them to jail, do you really think when these people get out they wont head right for the meth pipe?
gb333 on December 29 at 1:52 p.m.
Totally agree with SugearShane.
We don’t have to stop the war on drugs, but we need to completely rethink the way we are fighting it.
kennyhuston on December 29 at 2:49 p.m.
War on Drugs = EPIC FAILURE!!!!!