Burglary bust nets stolen bikes, suspects
A Spokane felon with 29 convictions is suspected of stealing 16 new bicycles from a shop, as well as two vehicles. Police arrested Christopher John Cannata, 41, on Friday and he remains jailed on a $300,000 bond.
He is accused of burglarizing the North Division Bike Shop where 21 Trek bikes were taken on Dec. 24. Many of the bikes – still in boxes – have been recovered.
Cannata’s arrest is part of a burglary bust made Saturday that netted three other suspects.
In both cases, police used a combination of intelligence gathering, directed patrols and quick response to make the arrests. The department’s police anti-crime team was involved.
On Friday, police stopped a vehicle identified as being involved in the burglary at the bike shop at 10503 N. Division St. The vehicle turned out to be stolen and interviews with the two people in the car led police to Cannata, police said.
Cannata’s extensive criminal history includes 29 felony convictions on charges ranging from burglary and possession of a stolen motor vehicle to unlawful firearms possession and escape.
While investigating the stolen car, officers saw a Chevrolet Avalanche that had been stolen earlier Friday. The driver of the Avalanche saw officers and fled. Officers found the Avalanche abandoned near 900 W. Everett Ave. and found Cannata nearby, the release said.
Inside the Avalanche, officers found property allegedly stolen from a burglary in the 2600 block of West Garland Avenue that occurred Friday. Officers also located 16 of the stolen bicycles, still in their boxes, at a home in the 6100 block of North Wall Street.
Cannata had been in jail earlier this year on a theft charge, but was released in early December on a $20,000 bond, court records show.
Police say they are looking for three more people they believe are connected to the car theft and for another person they suspect is linked to the bike shop burglary.
In the Saturday arrests, police analysts had noticed a crime spree occurring in the Indian Trail area along West Francis Avenue.
A detective on patrol was taking a report of a burglary when a homeowner at a different home reported interrupting a burglary in the 3500 block of West Bruce Avenue on Saturday.
Nearby officers laid out a search and spotted a suspicious vehicle at Cleveland Avenue and Ash Street. An officer followed the vehicle to the 2300 block of North Madison Street, where the arrests were made.
The suspects were identified as Daryl M. Ford, 29; Amanda Macklin, 25; and Jordan D. Newkirk, 19.
Ford was booked for attempted residential burglary, Macklin for residential burglary, and Newkirk for residential burglary and attempted residential burglary.
Lt. Steve Wohl said Monday that the crimes were likely being committed to raise cash for drugs.
Wohl said it’s not unusual for teams of criminals to work together. While one person enters a home, another criminal acts as a spotter to watch outside during the crime. A third person is the get-away driver.
Both cases show the power of combining resources and intelligence within the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, officers said.
Police commanders are then targeting locations where property crimes are breaking out.
City and county law enforcement agencies want to enhance the computer-aided dispatch and records management with new equipment purchases next year.