In brief: Man struck by car on North Side dies

A man hit by a car late Thursday in north Spokane has died from his injuries.

Spokane police said the man was walking east across Ash Street at Sharp Avenue about 11:55 p.m. when he was hit by a southbound car on Ash.

The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as Melvin W. Hobbs, 50.

The woman driving the car was on scene when officers arrived, police said in a news release. Investigators do not believe alcohol or speed were factors. A witness said the man was not in a crosswalk when he was hit, the release said.

Hobbs was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

New identity given for woman in river

A woman found dead in the Spokane River near Millwood on Jan. 10 has been identified as Maria Guadalupe Vega, 58.

The woman was identified in May as Rosalba Robayo Blanco, but investigators believe that name was an alias, said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Craig Chamberlin in a news release.

The woman drowned. Detectives are treating the case as a homicide.Vega is believed to be from Tijuana, Mexico, Chamberlin said. She crossed into the United States at San Ysidro on Sept. 24. She told border officials that she was on her way to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, but never arrived there.

Investigators are looking for anyone who knew Vega or may have seen her in the Spokane area.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Justin Elliott at (509) 477-3786.

Van sought in threat at Higgens Point

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a van involved in an attempted knife attack at Higgens Point in Coeur d’Alene.

A man called 911 about noon Wednesday to report that he and his 2-year-old daughter were walking near the boat ramp at Higgens Point when they were approached by a man with a knife who demanded money. The victim told deputies that he drew a concealed handgun and the man fled. The man is described as thin with shoulder-length hair and a thin mustache.

He drove away in an older blue van, possibly from the 1970s, with tinted windows, a rear ladder, a full-length luggage rack on top, a large rust spot on the driver’s door and a cracked rear window. It may have Washington or California plates.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 446-1300.