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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Sheriff’s Office seeks suspect in armed robbery

Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for Richard A. Rod, 32, a suspect in a robbery that occurred near Trent Elementary School on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. (Spokane County Sheriff’s Office)

Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested one man in connection with an armed robbery earlier this week that left a victim with stab wounds, and are looking for a second suspect.

Blane M. Peterson, 31, was booked into the Spokane County Jail early Friday facing assault and robbery charges stemming from an attack Tuesday morning near Trent Elementary School. A man told deputies he was robbed at knife point by two others, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office. The man received stab wounds and was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Peterson was taken into custody with the assistance of the Spokane Valley SWAT team at a home in the 14100 block of E. Wellesley Ave. early Friday morning. Deputies were serving a search warrant.

Peterson’s criminal record includes sentences for theft, possession of a stolen motor vehicle and drug charges. He was arrested in June 2013 for firing a gun in a downtown bar and later sentenced to nine months in jail. No one was hurt in that incident.

A second suspect in the robbery, 32-year-old Richard A. Rod, remains at large.

Authorities said Rod may have fled after seeing social media posts about the staging area of the SWAT team.

Rod has posed online in pictures with weapons, including rifles, the Sheriff’s Office said. Those with information about his whereabouts are asked to call 911 and include reference number 10068007. The Sheriff’s Office asks the public not to approach Rod, who may be armed.