Traffic citations keep officers busy in Liberty Lake
The recent surge in vehicle prowls in Liberty Lake appears to have died off, with no new reports coming in to police the week of Feb. 27 to Monday. Instead officers made arrests for traffic infractions and investigated two theft reports.
A resident in the 19000 block of East Maxwell Avenue called police at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 28 to report that someone was trying to get in his back door. Police arrived with deputies from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, including a K-9 unit. Police found no signs of an attempted break-in and the resident told police the noise might have come from an air conditioning/heating unit, said Police Chief Brian Asmus.
An officer on patrol spotted a parked car with two people inside in the 2300 block of North Harvard Road at 1:55 p.m. on Feb. 29. The officer watched them for a while because of recent thefts in the area, Asmus said. The officer talked to the two after the passenger threw a lit cigarette out of the window.
The two appeared nervous, Asmus said, and the officer got permission to search the car. A plastic bag containing a powdered substance was found, but both denied owning the bag, Asmus said. The bag and its contents were sent to the Washington State Patrol crime lab for analysis. The two could face drug possession charges if the powder is an illegal substance, he said.
A resident in the 1000 block of King James Lane reported to police on Feb. 29 that someone had charged more than $2,300 to his credit card even though he still had the card in his possession. The case is under investigation, as is the alleged theft of $5,000 in cash from a resident in the 21000 block of Rockrose Lane that was reported on Saturday.
A stolen car was recovered in the 21200 block of Country Vista Drive on March 1, and there were three arrests during the week for driving with a suspended license.
Officers handed out two citations for license and plates required, two for failure to show proof of liability insurance, three for defective muffler and six for speeding. An additional citation was given for use of a cellphone.