In brief: Police say suspect beat, robbed 93-year-old man

A Spokane man is accused of breaking into a 93-year-old man’s home, punching him in the face several times and stealing his wallet.

Police arrested Todd D. Simms, 46, Friday in connection with a Jan. 25 robbery.

Walter Carmack told police he was at his Browne’s Addition apartment when Simms knocked on the door and forced his way inside. Simms allegedly said the victim owed him money for work he had done.

Carmack, who is recovering, said he uses a walker and was unable to defend himself.

He knew of Simms through his caretaker.

Rachel Alexander

Open gas tanks at standoff

A Spokane Valley man arrested Sunday after a four-hour standoff with a Spokane County SWAT team barricaded himself in a shop with open acetylene tanks, according to court documents.

Christopher L. Ferrell, 35, is accused of domestic violence assault and malicious mischief for allegedly putting his wife in a chokehold and slashing his sister-in-law’s tires after an argument early Sunday.

He locked himself in a shop outside his mother’s house in the 17000 block of East Fifth Avenue and threatened to burn down the building, court documents say.

The standoff began around noon. When Ferrell exited the shop, he reached inside his jacket as if he had a weapon, according to a press release. Officers used a police dog and impact rounds to arrest him.

Rachel Alexander

‘Ninja’ wields bat in attack

A man wearing a “ninja mask” attacked a Spokane restaurant owner with a baseball bat Saturday night, according to police.

Justin E. Rodney, 25, has been arrested on suspicion that he assaulted the owner of Mamma Mia’s on West Francis Avenue.

The owner told police he was working with another employee when a man dressed all in black entered the restaurant swinging a baseball bat and attempted to hit him in the head.

The owner told police he was hit in the left buttock, and his assailant continued to swing the bat at his head before fleeing.

Police found Rodney riding nearby in a car driven by his girlfriend. He said he witnessed a fight, according to police reports, but denied the attack.

Officers said they found footprints matching Rodney’s in an alley next to the restaurant and collected a black bandana matching the “ninja” outfit from the car. They also seized an ax, crowbar, nail puller and a handgun from the car.

Rachel Alexander

Female fire victim identified

The woman who died Saturday after firefighters pulled her from a burning house on Fourth Avenue was 38-year-old Stacy Hains.

Hains died of smoke inhalation. The fire has been ruled accidental.

Firefighters also found a man dead in the second-floor bedroom where the fire started. His name has not been released.

A third person jumped out of the house’s front window when firefighters arrived. He had not been located as of Monday.

Rachel Alexander