Man locked in car in Liberty Lake by wife is assisted

Alcohol played a key role in several incidents that Liberty Lake police officers responded to during the week of March 12-19, including several arrests for driving under the influence.

Residents in the 2000 block of Sedge Lane called police at 1:15 a.m. Saturday to report that an intoxicated man was locked inside his car in the apartment complex parking lot and couldn’t get out. When officers responded they learned the man and his wife had gotten home earlier while the man was asleep in the car. His wife apparently locked the car with him inside and set the alarm before going inside their apartment, Police Chief Brian Asmus said.

When the man woke up he couldn’t get out of the car because of the alarm and his wife wasn’t answering the phone. “He began honking the horn, and several neighbors came out to try to get him out of the car, but they couldn’t,” Asmus said. Officers were finally able to wake up the man’s wife, who told police she had forgotten about her husband, Asmus said.

The first arrest for driving under the influence was at 10:30 a.m. on March 15. An officer was driving near Barker Road and Alki Avenue when he noticed a car in his lane heading directly for him, Asmus said. The other DUI arrests were in the early morning hours Sunday and included the driver of a speeding car at Appleway and Broadway avenues at 12:50 a.m. and a driver who ran a stop sign in the 25000 block of Appleway at 2:35 a.m.

An officer pulled over a driver at Appleway and Liberty Lake Road at 2:10 p.m. on March 15 for a seatbelt violation and noticed that the man smelled of alcohol. The driver reportedly admitted having a drink only a few minutes before, Asmus said. He was not legally drunk and was given a ride to his residence, Asmus said.

Police arrested a 12-year-old boy in the 22800 block of Country Vista Drive for domestic violence assault and malicious mischief on March 13. Dispatchers told the officer they could hear a struggle over the phone when someone called 911, Asmus said.

A resident of Clayton, Wash., who had a warrant for his arrest, was spotted by an officer on patrol at Appleway and Liberty Lake Road at 5:35 p.m. Friday. The man was hitchhiking and walking out into the road, making cars swerve around him, Asmus said. The officer took him to the Spokane County Jail when he learned of the warrant. Other arrests made during the week included five for driving with a suspended license.

A hotel manager at the Cedars Inn, 2327 N. Madsen Road, called police at 12:10 a.m. Saturday to report that a group of guests had broken several lights in a hallway during a party. The person who rented the room apparently told the hotel she would pay for the damages, but her credit card was declined, Asmus said. When officers checked the room they discovered more damage, but everyone had already left, Asmus said.

During the week officers handed out three citations for license and plates required, two for attachment of plate to vehicle, three for failure to show proof of liability insurance and eight for speeding. Additional citations were given for failure to sign/carry registration, second-degree negligent driving and use of a cellphone.