Caught in the act, alleged thief released without bond

A man allegedly caught stealing last week by Spokane County sheriff’s deputies has been released from jail without bond, leaving investigators frustrated.

“Predators that continue to prey on the community should be held in custody,” sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory said.

Investigators had identified Phong Quang Do as a suspect in several thefts of expensive tools from home improvement stores in the past two months. On Friday, detectives were tracking Do as he left the Sears at NorthTown Mall without paying for a Craftsman string trimmer and drove six blocks to a pawn shop, where he sold it, according to court records.

The prosecutor’s office asked for a $10,000 bond and noted that Phong Quang Do has eight previous felony convictions. He also has multiple convictions for assault and violation of protection orders.

Do is now facing new felony charges of theft, retail theft with special circumstances and trafficking in stolen property.

A Superior Court commissioner released Do to pretrial monitoring over the weekend. On Tuesday Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt upheld that decision. Sypolt said the pretrial office did not recommend bond and that Do’s warrant history is older.

Investigators have identified nearly a dozen thefts or attempted thefts they believe Do was involved in, according to court records. In some cases, Do was confronted by employees or witnesses and the stolen item was recovered while Do fled the scene.

Do was arrested and charged with theft in May after allegedly stealing tools from the Home Depot at 9116 N. Newport Highway. That case is still pending.

Property crimes may be nonviolent, but they should still have consequences, Gregory said.

“He’s not showing that he’s going to change his ways,” he said. “If they aren’t held accountable, what is going to stop them from going out and doing it again?”