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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels archive for Jan. 1, 2012

FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 2012

Spokane stabbing suspect turns self in

A Spokane man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend's new beau turned himself into police Thursday. Ezra Lawerence Bedeski, 35, faces a first-degree assault charge for the stabbing Tuesday about 9 p.m. outside the Walgreens at 2105 E. Wellesley Ave. The victim, Jared Reichenberg, 26, needed…

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Prostitutes cite ugly local competition

A group of traveling prostitutes suspected of settling in Spokane told police they were making good money here because the local competition is so ugly. One woman is in custody and other arrests are possible as part of an ongoing investigation into a 36-year-old California…

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'Bad-tooth bandit' of '95 arrested again

A Spokane man dubbed "the bad-tooth bandit" for a robbery spree more than 17 years ago was arrested Thursday after fleeing a traffic stop, officials say. Aaron Wayne Coats, 48, (pictured left in 2009 and below in 1994) was arrested minutes after a police chase…

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Jail inmate accused of aiding escape

A woman who escaped federal custody last month was assisted by another inmate at the Spokane County Jail, prosecutors allege. Andrea Nicole Falsetta, alias Hartnett, 37, is accused of helping Sandra Irene Duffy arrange to be helped by Barbara F. Haight, 61, after Duffy (pictured)…

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Facebook unfriending leads to murders

MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (AP) — A father who was upset after a Tennessee couple deleted his adult daughter as a friend on Facebook has been charged in the shooting deaths of the couple, authorities said Wednesday. The victims had complained to police that Marvin's Potter's…

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Judge: Buy wife flowers, then dinner

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A spat over forgetting to wish his wife a happy birthday landed a South Florida man in jail on domestic violence charges. When Judge Jay Hurley heard the circumstances that brought 47-year-old Joseph Bray to bond court Tuesday, he issued…

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THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2012

Fugitive bounty hunter arrested in Fla.

Federal agents have arrested an unlicensed bounty hunter whose alleged apprehension techniques led to felony charges and a criminal investigation against a Spokane police officer. Dennis Kariores, 42, was taken into custody today in Pensacola, Fla., on a $150,000 warrant for first-degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment…

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Convicted bank swindler John Earl Petersen is pictured in 1997. (Dan McComb/The Spokesman-Review)

Repeat con artist headed back to prison

Convicted bank swindler John Earl Petersen is pictured in 1997. (S-R archives) A convicted bank swindler who boldly walked out of a Spokane courtroom three years ago to avoid arrest is headed to federal prison. John Earl Petersen, the key figure in the collapse of…

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Man Tasered over $150 heroin debt

A Spokane woman forced her way into a man's home and shocked him with a Taser over a $150 heroin debt early Wednesday, police say. Faith M. Lee, 39, was arrested on a first-degree burglary charge with Roger Larry Blair, 53, after a resident at…

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'Boisterous' claims to nurse aids in arrest

A driver involved in a one-car crash that engulfed his vehicle in flames allegedly bragged to a nurse about the incident, police say. William C. Calamanco, 25, "was in a boisterous state and explained to the nurse that he was 'driving really, really, really fast,'"…

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24 lbs. of pot in Ore. leads to Spokane

The discovery of 24 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop in Oregon led police to arrest a suspected distributor in Spokane this week. The investigation began when Kevin C. McKeag, 28, of Chattaroy, was arrested near Roseburg, Ore., Feb. 2 after a drug dog…

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Man wanted for stealing from grandfather

A Spokane man accused of stealing from his grandfather by forging his checks is wanted by Crime Stoppers. Bryan Henry Morales, 32, was to begin trial this week on a leading organized crime charge for allegedly directing men to cash the forged checks, which cost…

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Harvey sues for back pay, damages

Former Spokane police Detective Jeff Harvey filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the department that fired him last year, seeking back pay and damages for emotional, physical and mental “injuries” to be determined at trial. Harvey’s attorney, Bob Dunn – who recently won a $722,000 jury…

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WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8, 2012


Man gets 11+ years for selling meth

A Western Washington man who sold large amounts of methamphetamine to people in Idaho will spend about 11 years in prison under a sentence imposed today in Coeur d'Alene. Jason Paul Patrick, 33, of Federal Way, admitted to selling meth to Idahoans who traveled to…

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Appeal denied in grisly Ferry Co. murder

A decision Tuesday by appellate judges most likely ended all legal recourse for a man convicted of killing his 19-year-old employee in a brutal slaying that will forever haunt a Ferry County man who witnessed it and barely escaped with his own life. The Division…

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'Fugitive' missed court while in jail

A man targeted by Crime Stoppers missed his court appearing last week because he's jailed in another county, and officials refuse to transport him. Mark William Bush, 35, is in the Benton County Jail under the Washington Department Corrections warrant for violating his probation. He…

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New details in Starbuck murder case

A Deer Park mother of five found strangled to death in her home was positioned in a way to humiliate her and make detectives believe she had been sexually assaulted, according to information released Tuesday. Clay Duane Starbuck, 47, is accused of murdering his ex-wife,…

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TUESDAY, FEB. 7, 2012

Police: Fraud suspect bilked 17+ people

Police say a recently arrested fraud suspected swindled people out of money through false car advertisements and Craigslist rental ads. Eric Pittsley, 35, of Newman Lake, was arrested Feb. 1 in an investigation that detectives say includes at least 17 victims, officials said today. Some…

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Dad arrested after crash injures children

A father was arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault Monday after a one-car crash that injured his 5-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter in south Spokane County. Heath Barden, 35, of Cheney, was driving north in the 14000 block of South Murphy Road when his 2004…

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Hate crimes alleged in assault spree

A 19-year-old man and his two brothers have been charged with hate crimes for allegedly attacking people because of their race. Deven James-Allen Hood is accused of smashing car windows and beating people Jan. 20 in what police allege was a hate-fueled drive through Spokane.…

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MONDAY, FEB. 6, 2012

Suspected peeper arrested in Cheney

A man with unzipped pants was arrested on suspicion of voyeurism following witness reports that he was spying on young women in Cheney late Friday. Police responded to the 500 block of Clay Street about 10:45 p.m. Friday, where an Eastern Washington University student said…

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Police guild 'embraces' Council's reforms

Spokane Police Guild officials announced in a news release Monday that the union “embraces” a police reform resolution that the Spokane City Council is likely to approve tonight. “The Guild wants to thank the Council members for recognizing that many of the steps presented in…

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