In brief: $500,000 bail set for man suspected in fatal beating

An 18-year-old man accused of killing a retired principal who was trying to break up an underage party will remain jailed on $500,000 bond.

If Treven Lewis does post bond, he is required to check in with his attorney regularly, refrain from using alcohol and must have no contact with what Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Larry Haskell described as “a lengthy list of people.”

Lewis’ public defender, Kari Reardon, agreed to the conditions and did not ask Superior Court Judge Annette Plese to reduce the $500,000 bond at Lewis’ court appearance Wednesday.

Lewis’ next court appearance is Tuesdayat 9 a.m.

Haskell noted that Lewis was supposed to stay away from alcohol as part of his conditions for leaving jail on a separate assault charge last summer.

Lewis was awaiting trial on that case when he was arrested for suspicion of assaulting Frank J. Motta, 65, who died last Thursday after being attacked while trying to clear out his neighbor’s teen son’s drinking party the previous weekend.

Witnesses said Lewis pushed Motta to the ground and punched him once in the head after Motta nudged Lewis’ girlfriend while telling her and others to leave.

Stolen car leads to suspected chop shop, two men’s arrests

A stolen Honda Civic located outside a north Spokane garage Tuesday led police to raid a suspected chop shop and arrest two men. 

Dennis A. Martynenko, 23, and Brandon C. Hill, 18, were booked into jail on two counts of possession of a stolen motor vehicle after Spokane police Cpl. Shane Oien spotted the Civic parked near 4000 N. Pittsburg St.

Martynenko and Hill were removing wheels, tires and other parts from the Civic and putting them on another car, police say.

Officers with the Spokane police Patrol Anti-Crime Team saw two other Hondas inside the garage that were stripped down and had parts swapped out.Officers also observed other car parts such as seats, hoods, fenders, bumpers and molding throughout the garage, as well as a stolen Honda scooter. The Spokane police Targeted Crimes Unit said the garage appears to be used as a chop shop where stolen cars are disassembled and their parts redistributed.

Police say Martynenko is a repeat offender with seven felony convictions for property crimes. Hill also has a criminal history, police said.

SFCC president search narrows

The search for Spokane Falls Community College president has been narrowed to five finalists, college officials announced Wednesday.

Two of the candidates work for Community Colleges of Spokane, while the others are from community colleges in Wyoming, Oregon and California.

Public forums are planned in April for each of the finalists.

• Kevin Trutna, vice president for academic and student services, Yuba College, Marysville, Calif.; 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 9, SFCC, Room 110 (Building 24)

• Nancy Fair-Szofran, vice president research, planning and institutional effectiveness, Mt. Hood Community College, Gresham and Portland, Ore.; 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 10, SFCC, Room 110 (Building 24)

• Jim Minkler, interim vice president for learning, Spokane Falls Community College; 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 12, SFCC admin. building Palouse Room (Building 1)

• Sandy Caldwell, associate vice president for planning and improvement, Western Wyoming Community College, Rock Springs, Wyo.; 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 18, SFCC, Room 110 (Building 24)

• Janet Gullickson, interim district academic services officer, Community Colleges of Spokane; 2:30 to 4 p.m. April 19, SFCC administration building Palouse Room (Building 1)