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

Sirens & Gavels archive for June 2012

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

A 21-year-old Spokane man was arrested for vehicular assault after crashing his truck head-on into a semi truck on Thursday and injuring his passenger.
Joseph A. Hussey's blood-alcohol level registered at .224 before he was jailed on a vehicular assault charge for the crash in the 3900 block of East Broadway Avenue, according to the Spokane Police Department.
The legal limit for driving is .08.
Police say he smelled of intoxicants and told them he was going home to the Valley from the Satellite bar downtown.
Hussey also slurred his speech and failed field sobriety tests, police say. 
He was booked into he Spokane County Jail on the felony charge. (Spokane Police Department)

Man blows .224 after head-on crash

The Spokane Police Department provided this photo of the crash on the SPD Facebook page. A 21-year-old Spokane man was arrested for vehicular assault after crashing his truck head-on into a semi truck on Thursday and injuring his passenger. Joseph A. Hussey's blood-alcohol level registered…

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Two arrested after high-speed chase

Two young people in a stolen car led a sheriff's deputy on a high-speed chase in Spokane Valley on Thursday. Jordy Scott DeBoer, 20, and Nicole Dawn Singer, 23, were in a green Honda Accord when Deputy Brian Hirzel tried to stop it near North…

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FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2012

Man arrested w/ 5,000+ bombs in Valley

A man was arrested with about 5,400 small explosive devices in his van during an undercover investigation at Hooters in Spokane Valley Thursday. Peter Ward Westhaver, 53, is in the Spokane County Jail on a no-bail federal hold. He met two men who turned out…

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Alleged mail thieves jailed without bail

A federal prosecutor said she's "appalled" by the number of people who had their mail stolen in in a suspected regional theft ring and may seek aggravating circumstances against four suspects. "This is an ongoing, every day thing," Assistant U.S. Attorney Pam Byerly said. "This…

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Alleged robber is 4-foot-8, 85 pounds

A suspect has been arrested in a June 6 armed home-invasion robbery in northeast Spokane. Brettly E. Sanderson, who turned 16 last week, was charged as an adult with seven counts of first-degree robbery, but the charges were refiled in juvenile court when prosecutors realized…

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3 arrested after downtown beating

Three men were arrested after another man was beaten unconscious in downtown Spokane Wednesday night. Witnesses reported three men, one armed with a baseball bat, assaulting the man near West 2nd Avenue and South Jefferson Street about 8 p.m. One of the men kicked the…

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Judge considers dropping murder charge

A judge said she has concerns about the validity of a murder charge against one of two defendants charged in the shooting death of a man last year in the West Central neighborhood. Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen said she could decide either today or…

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Intermodal shooter gets 82 years

A man convicted of trying to kill two Spokane police officers a decade ago was resentenced last week to 82 years in prison after his case was returned on appeal. Jason A. Graham, 31, will be given credit for the nine years he has already…

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Slingshot used to fire at speed camera

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. (AP) — Police in Maryland say a man has been charged with assault for using a slingshot to fire glass marbles at a speed camera van. Authorities say Bruce Lawrence May of Ellicott City was arrested Tuesday. The 50-year-old Lawrence was also…

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9.5 tons of garlic stolen in Austria

VIENNA (AP) — Austrian police did not need sniffing dogs to locate this suspected heist — 9.5 tons of garlic. The Austria Press Agency says police stopped three overloaded and sagging vans about to cross into Hungary from Austria on Wednesday and found them packed…

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THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012

Sex offender released on $250k bond

A Spokane sex offender facing a potential life sentence for allegedly molesting a girl at the NorthTown Mall is out of jail. Richard Michael Payne, 55, posted $250,000 bond through a bonding company and was released from Spokane County Jail about 10 p.m. Wednesday. Payne…

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60+ felonies sought in burglary ring

Spokane County sheriff's detectivs are recommending about 60 felony charges against four suspects in a burglary ring that victimized more than 20 people. Denis Buljubasic, 27; Bojan Derzic, 31; Susan Burke, 50; and Dwayne Gunderson, 28, are accused of a burglary spree that was discovered…

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Spokane police take Josh Berg into custody at 7th and Maple on June 19. Berg was allegedly a passenger in a car that was involved in short police pursuit. When the driver of the car crashed at 2nd and Walnut, the occupants fled the scene, but were arrested a short time later. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

Other Josh, Brittnei had meth in SUV

Spokane police arrest Josh Berg at 7th and Maple on June 19. (SRphoto/Colin Mulvany) Two young people briefly mistaken for accomplices of cop shooter Charles Robert Wallace last week had methamphetamine and Hydrocodone in their car, police say. Brittnei J. Fawver, 21, and Joshua A.…

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Car prowling surge reported in Spokane

Spokane police are combating a surge in vehicle prowling with a new public awareness campaign aimed at preventing it. The "Remove it or Lose it" campaign, which officially begins July 9, aims to help citizens remember to keep valuables out of plain sight in their…

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Convicted killer arrested in CdA stabbing

Police on Wednesday arrested a convicted killer accused of trying to kill another man in a stabbing Monday night north of Coeur d’Alene. James H. Kountz, 56, was arrested about 5:40 p.m. in the same wooded area near U.S. Highway 95 and Wilbur Avenue where…

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Uptick in crime downtown a concern

Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart is offering $10,000 from a City Council reserve fund for police overtime to help squash an uptick in crime downtown. “After meeting with the business owners about their employees’ cars being broken into and a chef getting attacked, how…

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2012

Police refute ricochet claims at trial

The state may finish the its portion of the case Thursday against a man and woman charged with second-degree murder of a man who was shot and killed last December just a few blocks from the Spokane County Courthouse. Defense attorneys Tom Krzyminski and Derek…

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Wanted: Woman w/ 254 police contacts

A 25-year-old Spokane woman who police say they've contacted 254 times is again wanted for violating her probation. Desarae M. Dawson, a former Crime Stoppers fugitive, was sentenced in February to 17 days in Spokane County Jail after pleading guilty to riot and escape from…

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Heaps of stolen mail found in Spokane

About 1,000 pieces of mail stolen from hundreds of people in Eastern Washington and North Idaho were recovered in Spokane on Monday. Police had been investigating the thefts since a woman reported seeing a white car with two men and two women stealing from mailboxes…

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Jury clears deputy of excessive force

A North Idaho jury has cleared a Bonner County Sheriff’s deputy against allegations that he used excessive force during a DUI arrest following a crash with injuries on the road to Schweitzer Mountain Resort. The jury on Friday determined that Deputy Clint Mattingley did not…

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TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2012

Rape suspect wanted after skipping plea

UPDATE: Green is no longer wanted. He appeared in court and pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. The rape charge was dismissed. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that lead to the arrest of an accused rapist who missed his scheduled plea hearing. J.…

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$10k diamond earrings stolen in Valley

Two sets of diamond earrings valued at $10,000 were stolen from a Spokane Valley home on Saturday, and Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for tips that solve the case. One set contains 14-karat, white gold, with two solitaire diamonds suspended by a thin gold…

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Detectives are looking for help in identifying a man who burglarized a home in north Spokane County earlier this month.
A photo released today from the homeowner's game camera shows a man wearing gloves leaving the backdoor of the home in the 3100 block of East Deer Park-Milan Road.  The homeowners returned from an eight-day vacation June 8 and discovered the break-in.
His accomplice, identified by police as Christopher John Steinbaugh, 32, was arrested last week on a residential burglary charge.
Police are asking for anyone with information on the man's identify to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 and reference case #12-176653.
Steinbaugh already is charged with property crimes for arrests in March and May, including one that occurred when a sheriff's detective recognized him at a pawn shop. (Crime Check)

Home burglar caught on tape - who is it?

Detectives are looking for help in identifying a man who burglarized a home in north Spokane County earlier this month. A photo released today from the homeowner's game camera shows a man wearing gloves leaving the backdoor of the home in the 3100 block of…

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