In brief: Body found in Spokane Valley prompts investigation
A person reported finding a body lying next to a vehicle that was being stored between two homes in Spokane Valley on Friday evening.
The body was found in the 8100 block of East Harrington Avenue. It appeared that the man had been dead for several days, according to a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office news release.
Detectives are investigating. The man’s identity will be released by the Spokane County medical examiner after an autopsy.
St. Maries woman pulled from burning car
An Idaho woman is at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after she was trapped inside her burning car Friday evening in southeastern Kootenai County.
The woman, identified as St. Maries resident Suzanne O’Rourke, 36, was pulled from her burning car by two passers-by, according to the Idaho State Police.
O’Rourke was driving north on state Highway 3 south of Rainy Hill Road when she crossed over the southbound lane of travel, drove off the west side of the road and drove down an embankment. Her 1999 Lexus hit several trees and the car caught on fire shortly before 7 p.m., the ISP said.
She was taken by helicopter to Kootenai Health and then transferred to Harborview. The crash is under investigation.
Search for climber ends after body located
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. – The search for the missing Utah climber on Mount Rainier was called off Saturday afternoon after a helicopter spotted the body of a deceased male climber near the summit.
Mount Rainier National Park spokeswoman Patricia Wold said the body matches the description of missing climber Kyle Bufis, but the Pierce County medical examiner will confirm the person’s identity after climbing rangers retrieve the body.
The second day of the search for 25-year-old Bufis focused on a spot where the Winthrop and Emmons glaciers meet, Wold said.
Bufis was part of a three-climber team when he went missing during extreme weather near Liberty Saddle about 9 p.m. Thursday.
The two other climbers, Derek Gavelis and Mathew Wiech, descended to Camp Schurman late Friday. Both were tired but in good physical condition, Wold said.
Saturday’s search was conducted by two air operations, she said.
Three suspects arrested after drive-by shooting
Spokane police say three people were arrested Saturday night on suspicion that they participated in a drive-by shooting on the South Hill.
Officers were called to the 1700 block of East 39th Avenue about 7 p.m., Spokane police reported in a news release. They found shell casings, but no one was injured and no property was damaged.
Witnesses identified suspects, and police arrested them, the news release said. Police believe the shooting was motivated by “someone complaining about the suspects’ driving.”