Spokane7
65°
July 21, 2011 in City
Suspected bank robber arrested in river
Wideman
(Full-size photo)
A convicted child rapist and suspected bank robber was pulled from the Spokane River on Wednesday after leading police on a chase into a cemetery.
Lawrence A. Wideman, 43, was driving a car matching the description of a getaway vehicle used in a robbery at Wells Fargo at North Monroe Street and West Francis Avenue about 9:45 a.m. when police started following him.
Wideman drove through a metal gate and took a paved road around the cemetery to the river, where he jumped in only to be arrested by officers, Spokane police Officer Teresa Fuller said.
Officers were alerted to Wideman’s car by a woman who saw him running southbound on Monroe with “an orange powder billowing from something he was carrying” before getting into the vehicle, police said. The woman turned her car around and followed Wideman long enough to get his license plate number.
He was booked into jail on suspicion of first-degree bank robbery, and police recovered a gun and money from the heist.
Wideman is a level 2 sex offender with a conviction in 2009 for third-degree rape of a child.
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender 
DickAdams on July 21 at 9:27 a.m.
What was this guy doing walking around free after his 2009 rape of a child? I guess the pot vendors are more important in the eyes of the LE agencies rather than the likes of this pervert walking the streets. Disgusting priorities.
robert1964 on July 21 at 10:58 a.m.
good - one less sicko off the streets without parol - i say impeach city by city - state by state - and get some people in office who will get some things done - talk is cheap - we need action - these criminals dont care about who they kill - they dont care who they hurt - they dont care what they got to do to others to get their next fix - they dont care - why trust a government who lets um out ? impeach the people causing more problems then fixing them - its bad enough paying taxes on a failing system with little results - get some people in office who are dead serious about saving tax dollers and execute in an efficient amount of time - not apeal after apeal - not parol in the chances of doing it again at other victims expence when they get out - what is wrong with this ? why cant we just impeach everyone in every state capital till done ? we are paying all the taxes already - oh yeah i forgot - working full time puts a damper on that one doesant it ? they probably know that trick too - its no wonder why i will never vote till they get shut down
gonefishin1 on July 21 at 11:09 a.m.
dont get me wrong im glad hes off the streets but, do ya think the gestapo held his head under the water for awhile