Eleventh juvenile arrested in taxidermy break-in

An eleventh and final juvenile suspect has been arrested in the burglary of a Mead taxidermist last week in which suspects made off with more than $27,000 of stolen property, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said. The teenage boy turned himself in at the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Facility with his parents Tuesday, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. Four teens were initially arrested after a break-in at Knopp Taxidermy, 10816 N. Newport Highway, reported by a security guard around 10:30 pm. Aug. 26. All suspects reported in custody by the Sheriff’s Office have been charged with second-degree burglary. Based on a suspect’s record, the charge can carry a maximum sentence of more than a year in juvenile detention. Most valued of the misappropriated mounts was a full-sized polar bear, with a price tag of around $20,000, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Also reported stolen were a wolf, monkey, raccoon, zebra and boar. After searching the area and questioning suspects, all of the stolen property was found and returned to the business. A neighboring business owner phoned police about 45 minutes before the burglary reporting suspicious vehicles in a nearby parking lot. Teens milling in the lot told officers they were just hanging out.