In brief: Police seek suspect in fatal Howard Johnson shooting

Spokane police are investigating a fatal shooting early Sunday in the parking lot of the Howard Johnson Inn on North Division Street.

Officers responded just after 12:30 a.m. to the reported shooting at 3033 N. Division St. and found a man dead in the parking lot of the hotel. They secured two vehicles believed to be involved in the homicide.

Major Crimes Unit detectives are investigating. A suspect had not been apprehended Sunday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Woman allegedly throws child over fence, down embankment

Spokane police arrested a 25-year-old woman Saturday after she allegedly tossed a 1-year-old boy over a fence and down a steep embankment.

Destiny L. Ahenakew is in Spokane County Jail on a charge of first-degree assault of a child.

A man working in a house in the 2400 block of West Mission Avenue called police about 2:30 p.m. after the woman, who had the boy with her, entered the home and approached him asking for water. After he gave her water and called police, he saw the woman throw the child over a fence above the Spokane River. The boy fell down a 50-foot embankment and hit a tree, police said.

Another person picked up the child and brought him back up the embankment to safety. When officers arrived they called for medics, and the injured child was taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said.

Man arrested after driving car, passenger into river, police say

Police said a man who drove his car into the Spokane River Sunday morning, injuring a female passenger, was arrested for reckless endangerment, domestic violence and providing false information to police.

Rex L. Pollock, 50, originally told officers someone had stolen the car and driven it into the river in the 500 block of East Spokane Falls Boulevard, police said. Officers determined that Pollock and a woman had been arguing in the car, and Pollock allegedly drove recklessly and left the road where Cincinnati Street comes to a dead end just south of the Trent Avenue Bridge.

It appears the vehicle left the road at a high speed and plunged into the river, stopping in about 5 feet of water about 25 feet from shore, police said.

The woman was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Pollock was booked into Spokane County Jail. Spokane police had responded to the incident as a possible carjacking about 6 a.m.

Burglary suspect arrested after reports of man with machete

A man suspected of breaking into several Spokane homes, wielding a machete and assaulting a resident was arrested Saturday night.

Daniel J. Pajas, 28, was apprehended with the help of a Spokane County K-9 deputy. Pajas was booked into Spokane County Jail on one count of residential burglary and two counts of first-degree burglary.

Officers responded to a report of a residential burglary in the 1600 block of West Ninth Avenue. A woman living there said the suspect held a machete and walked into her apartment through a door that was ajar. She pushed him back out and locked the door.

A few minutes later another woman reported that a man entered her house in the same block and was still inside. He assaulted her but she was able to get away with minor injuries.

The K-9 unit also responded and officers found Pajas hiding in a cabinet in the second residence. Investigators said Pajas entered a third residence nearby earlier in the day.