Thief steals cash from South Hill estate sales

A thief grabbed the cash box from an estate sale under way on the South Hill today and jumped into a waiting car, getting away with an undisclosed amount of cash. Patti Vincent, who is operating the estate sale, said a bald man who had a tattoo around his ankle took the cash box then left in a black Honda sports car driven by a woman. Vincent is operating the estate sale on behalf of the homeowner at a house near East 36th Avenue and South Pittsburg Street. She said she didn’t know how much money was in the cash box until she has an opportunity to tally the receipts. Vincent said another homeowner down the block who is holding a garage sale was hit by the same thief. Officer John Gately, of the Spokane Police Department, said the theft was reported to Crime Check. He added that thefts from garage and estate sales aren’t uncommon. “Any time there’s money sitting out, there’s a chance someone will try to take it.” Vincent said she wanted to alert others who are holding sales this weekend to take extra precautions.