In brief: Three robberies reported around Spokane within an hour

Spokane police responded to three robberies within an hour early Thursday morning.

The rash of robberies began at 12:18 a.m., when officers responded to a  robbery at the Cenex Zip Trip on West Francis Avenue. Two men dressed in black, wearing masks, entered the store and took an undisclosed amount of money, the police department said in a news release. Officers were unable to locate the men.

At 12:47 a.m., patrol officers responded to the 1600 block of West Third Avenue, where a woman said she was assaulted and robbed of more than $300. Officer Cory Lyons contacted and arrested 33-year-old Kermit C. York, 23-year-old Kevin M. Hunter and 24-year-old Timothy W. Yax on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

At 1:01 a.m., officers responded to 1600 W. Spofford Ave. on another robbery call, this one a home invasion. Suspects wearing masks, armed with handguns, broke into the home and fled prior to police arrival.

The robberies come less than a week after four masked men robbed a McDonald’s on South Regal Street and a home invasion left one man with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Police said it is too early to tell whether any of the cases are related.

Multiple prowling suspect found sleeping in car

An alleged car prowler was arrested when Post Falls police found him asleep early Thursday morning in one of the cars he’s suspected of burglarizing.

Jason D. Hill, 33, was found inside the car around 4:20 a.m. on the 3800 block of East Second Avenue.

Hill was wearing gloves and appeared to have been removing the stereo from the car he fell asleep in, a news release from the police department said.

Police also found another stolen stereo, along with burglary tools, wallets and a cellphone. Police determined that several vehicles in the same parking lot had been burglarized, the release said.

Hill also had a felony warrant out of Washington state for attempting to elude police. A separate stolen vehicle was found a short distance away.

Hill was booked into Kootenai County Jail on suspicion of auto burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of a controlled substance and being a fugitive from justice.