Six arrested in drawn-out burglary case

Suspects in a south Spokane County burglary continued to show up after deputies were called, leading to the arrest of six people Tuesday.

Blaze E. Smith, 40, and William George Tapio, 35, were arrested after the 61-year-old owner of the home and shop on West Purvis Road blocked them with his vehicle and called Crime Check.

The homeowner had discovered the buildings, which were unoccupied but filled with property, burglarized Monday. The burglars left a hand cart behind; the victim told Deputy Matt Gould he suspected they might return to retrieve it, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Gould responded about 12:20 p.m. Tuesday and found the homeowner in a Dodge Ram pickup on the front lawn as a Chevrolet Lumina tried to leave.

Smith and Tapio were inside, along with 34-year-old Christina Marie Simmons, aka Johnson. Johnson was not arrested but will be charged with burglary later, Detective Dan Blashill said.

At 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, the victim’s daughter called Crime Check to say her father was again at the property blocking additional burglars.

Three deputies, a K-9 team and Patrol Sgt. Kris Thompson arrested  Richard C. Rasmusan, 33, who also had an outstanding misdemeanor traffic warrant; Scott G. Klassen, 24, who was driving on a suspended driver’s license; and Joseph A. McKee, 35.

Klassen’s Mazda pickup was seized pending a search Wednesday.