In brief: Body pulled from Spokane River
Spokane Fire Department pulled a body from the Spokane River in the area of West Boone Avenue and North Evergreen Street.
Kayakers spotted the body about 11:10 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters were able to quickly find the body and retrieve it from the river.
It appears the body was not in the water for long, authorities said. The person will not be identified until an autopsy is completed.
Gas cards used to steal fuel
Police are trying to identify two vehicles driven by thieves who have stolen thousands of dollars worth of fuel since May.
Someone stole a fuel card from an Environment West vehicle in the 7500 block of North Argonne Road and bought more than $2,000 in gas before the card was returned to the vehicle.
On June 7, someone cut through a fence at the Central Valley School District, 19300 E. Cataldo Ave., and stole fuel cards from several buses.
“The thief, and presumably his friends, has racked up more that $5,000 in stolen fuel bills,” Sgt. Dave Reagan said in a news release. “All of the gasoline was stolen from Pacific Pride fuel stations, and most was stolen at the Newman Lake site.”
Surveillance photos from gas stations show a mid-’90s green standard cab Dodge pickup that is lifted and has a silver passenger door and after-market wheels. Also pictured is a mid-to-late ’90s white GMC or Chevrolet Tahoe (possibly a Suburban) that has a roof rack, white taillight covers and a pitbull sticker in the right rear window. View the photos online at www.spokesman. com/blogs/sirens.
Anyone with information on the owners of the vehicles is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.
Fire extinguished at drive-in
The Spokane Fire Department responded to a blaze at a North Side fast food restaurant late Tuesday morning.
The Zip’s Drive-In at 1604 W. Francis Ave., reported a fire about 11 a.m. Crews found smoke coming from the roof and the side of the building, and put out the fire within 20 minutes. No one was hurt.
The building sustained some smoke damage and the restaurant closed for a few hours Tuesday afternoon. It reopened at 5 p.m.
The cause remained under investigation Tuesday night.
Suspect arrested in rape case
MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake police have arrested a man in connection with the abduction and rape of a 19-year-old student at a Moses Lake community college.
Police on Tuesday morning arrested 33-year-old Jerald W. Thomas, a transient, at a bus stop in Moses Lake. He was arrested without incident, and is being held in the Grant County Jail.
Sheriff Tom Jones credited tips from the public with helping apprehend the suspect.
The woman was abducted Monday morning in a parking lot at Big Bend Community College.