Car prowls in Liberty Lake prompt call to lock doors

Calls coming into the Liberty Lake Police Department were up the week of April 2-9, and a few vehicle prowls were among the crimes reported after a handful of relatively quiet weeks.

Only one of the prowled vehicles was locked, said Chief Brian Asmus, urging residents to lock their cars. “The other ones were left unlocked,” he said.

A resident in the 23000 block of Colony Court called police at 10:30 a.m. on April 5 to report that someone had broken out the window of his car while it was parked in the driveway and removed a bag of massage oils. The theft of an iPod Nano from an unlocked car parked in the same block was reported to police about the same time. In the third incident a wallet was reported missing from an unlocked car in the 1000 block of Knudsen Court on Friday.

An employee at the Mercedes dealership called police the morning of April 2 to report a car had been stolen off the lot sometime over the weekend. As the officer was taking the report, the Spokane Police Department called to report finding the stolen car behind a gas station at Second Avenue and Walnut Street, in Spokane, Asmus said.

A city employee reported at 5 p.m. on April 3 that several flags had been stolen from the Trailhead Golf Course and then located in the backyard of a home on Settler Drive. “We were brought into this late in the game, as far as the police being notified,” Asmus said. The case is under investigation.

One traffic stop netted three arrests at 1:10 a.m. on April 5. The driver was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and the two passengers were cited for minor in possession/consumption of alcohol. One passenger was also cited for possession of marijuana. A second driving under the influence arrest happened on the railroad track in the 24400 block of East Wellesley Avenue at 2:45 a.m. on Saturday. The driver had tried to drive across the tracks, and the vehicle became high-centered, Asmus said. The car was safely removed. Other arrests during the week include two for domestic violence assault and three for driving with a suspended license.

While on patrol Saturday, an officer spotted a car at a stop sign in the 25000 block of Hawkstone Loop. A man was sitting on the hood and arguing with the female driver, Asmus said. The officer was able to help the two resolve their differences, Asmus said.

Officers were asked to assist the Sheriff’s Office with a call reporting several motorcycles on Department of Natural Resources land in the 14000 block of North Koth Road at 3:15 p.m. Sunday. When officers arrived they heard what sounded like gunshots and an explosion, Asmus said. The motorcyclists were located, but the source of the gunshots was not, Asmus said.

“I don’t think they were associated,” Asmus said. “The area they were in is a shooting area. I don’t know about blowing things up.”

During the week officers handed out seven citations for failure to show proof of liability insurance, 11 for speeding and two for failure to wear a safety belt. Additional citations were given for failure to sign/carry vehicle registration, failure to initially register a vehicle, invalid license in possession/displayed, failure to change address or name, failure to use required ignition interlock, failure to obey a traffic control device, failure to stop at a red light, failure to stop at a stop sign, use of a cellphone and possession of drug paraphernalia.