In brief: Dogs need homes after being rescued

Ten dogs in Stevens County are in need of homes after a rescue Wednesday at the house of a woman who had died.

Nancy Rose, shelter manager at the Colville Valley Animal Sanctuary, spearheaded the rescue at the home of the woman, who Rose said was well known in the area for the poor conditions at her property.

Rose and others removed the bodies of 23 to 27 dead animals from the home, as well as two live cats and 12 live dogs.

The two cats and have been adopted, as have two dogs.

The 10 remaining dogs are being housed at the Spokane Humane Society.

Man shot by police had weapons in car

A fugitive shot to death by police in North Idaho had material in his vehicle for changing his identity, as well as weapons, drug paraphernalia and an active police scanner.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department announced the discovery Wednesday as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Justin Earl Nicholas Todd, 33.

Todd died after he was shot by multiple Post Falls police officers following a 20-minute chase that ended in a residential area in west Hayden.

Police said Todd was shot after he struck an Idaho State Police trooper with his car and knocked the him to the ground. The trooper suffered minor injuries.

Todd, a longtime felon, was wanted on a warrant for eluding police.

Investigators said Wednesday that Todd’s car had recently been painted from blue to white. They found six cans of black spray paint in the car that indicated Todd may have planned to paint it again. They said they also found a brass knuckles/stun gun combination weapon, a knife and three cellphones.

Investigators interviewed all officers involved in the incident Tuesday. The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office will decide on charges once a report is submitted.

Police: Longtime tagger caught

Spokane police arrested a man they say is a “prolific graffiti tagger” believed to have caused property damage throughout the city and county in excess of $50,000.

Just before 8 p.m. on Saturday, a witness called police saying he saw two men spray painting a building near Bernard Street and Pacific Avenue in downtown Spokane.

Officers Tiffany Iverson and Alexis Kester arrived at the scene and spoke with Lance Perkins and Justin H. Galles, both 25. Both men had cans of spray paint and paint markers in hand when officers arrived, a news release from the Spokane Police Department said.

Both Perkins and Galles were booked into jail on suspicion of malicious mischief. Perkins previously was arrested in July for malicious mischief.

Perkins has historically tagged property throughout the city and county with “57,” the release said. Four downtown businesses within several blocks of the location Perkins and Galles were found have been recent victims of “57” in blue and yellow spray paint.

Spokane police have been trying to find the person responsible for the “57” tags for several years.

Oregon stop yields marijuana charges

Three North Idaho residents were stopped in Oregon last week with 10 pounds of marijuana, police said Wednesday.

Marcus George Heidenreich, 30, of Coeur d’Alene, was arrested on drug charges after an Oregon State Police trooper found two pounds of marijuana in his suitcase and another eight pounds of pot in a box.

The search occurred March 7 about 3:40 p.m. near Bend after the trooper stopped a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Idaho plates for “a hazardous traffic violation” as it drove north on Highway 97, police said.

Driver Shawn Lee Miller, 41, of Coeur d’Alene, was cited for unlawful possession and distribution of marijuana and ordered to appear in Deschutes County Circuit Court.

Passenger Shainsy Loree Miller, 34, of Athol, also was cited.