In brief: Warmed-up car taken for a ride in Deer Park

Apparently a pickup left running outside a Deer Park home early Monday was already warm enough for one man.

Deputies say Samuel J. Sanchez, 32, stole a 1992 Ford Ranger from the 10700 block of North Humboldt Drive because he was cold and tired of walking. Sanchez was stopped on U.S. Highway 395 while driving the pickup, which had been reported stolen about 6 a.m., according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

The pickup’s owner said he left it running outside his home to warm up, according to a news release, then heard the engine revving and saw it being driven toward the highway.

Sanchez, a felon whose driver’s license is suspended, was arrested without incident. Deputies say he had a double-edged throwing knife on the passenger seat.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Felon arrested with gun, ammunition

A Spokane Valley man was arrested Saturday after police investigating domestic violence allegations found him with a handgun.

Rashad K. Harper, 29, was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm after police detained him near a convenience store.

His girlfriend had called 911 about 4:40 p.m. and said he’d damaged the windshield of her car during an argument at their apartment in the 10800 block of East Third, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.

The woman said Harper had access to a gun, and officers learned he had a Washington Department of Corrections warrant out for his arrest.

Police found a TEC-9 semi-automatic gun in his jacket sleeve and two loaded 10-round pistol magazines in his inside jacket pocket. Harper, who has previous domestic violence convictions, also had a loaded 30-round ammo magazine in his pants pocket, police said.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Professor to speak on asbestos research

Mickey Gunter, a University of Idaho professor, spent a decade researching the geology and asbestos mineralogy of the vermiculite deposit in Libby, Mont.

He’ll talk about his work to fingerprint the asbestos that sickened Libby miners and their families at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Spokane Community College Lair Auditorium, 1810 North Greene St.

The lecture is free.

Staff report