Neighbor Charged In Home Burglary After Items Found In Shed

An Otis Orchards man is accused of burglarizing his neighbor’s house Sunday night.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a burglary in progress at E21323 Queen about 7:30 p.m. Mikhail Grishko said he came home from church and found his neighbor, Lewis Austin, in his front yard, said sheriff’s Lt. Clyde Ries.

Austin, 36, of E21324 Queen, was arrested and charged with residential burglary. He is being held at Spokane County Jail.

When Grishko got home, all the lights in his house were on, and a light in a basement bedroom had been smashed, Ries said. Missing from the house were a stereo, vacuum cleaner, clock, floral bedspread and gold watch.

Glass fragments from the broken light were scattered on the floor along with a cigarette butt, Ries said.

After talking with Grishko, deputies went across the street and knocked on Austin’s door. Someone yelled, “Come in.” Austin was inside with a 14-year-old boy.

Austin had a bloody cut on his cheek and his right hand, Ries said. The 14-year-old took deputies to a shed outside the house where they found the items missing from Grishko’s house, Ries said.

Man accidentally shot

A Valley man was accidentally shot Monday afternoon when his handgun fell out of his vehicle.

Frederick T. Michener, 28, had just pulled into his driveway at E11808 Railroad about 4:55 p.m. When he opened the door to his Ford Bronco, his 7.62 mm automatic pistol fell out and at least one round was fired, Ries said.

Michener was shot in the right forearm. He was taken to Valley Hospital and Medical Center and is in stable condition.

Stolen vehicle recovered

A Valley man was arrested early Monday after deputies found a car in his driveway that had been reported stolen.

Timothy J. Ritchie, 41, E11515 Sprague, was charged with possession of stolen property. He is being held at Spokane County Jail.

Deputies saw a 1978 Dodge parked at the East Sprague address about 1:30 a.m. One deputy remembered the car being a different color when he’d seen it there before, Ries said.

When the Vehicle Identification Number was entered into a police computer, the car registered as stolen from Missoula on Dec. 1, Ries said.

At first, Ritchie said the car belonged to his employer in Missoula and that he had permission to drive it. Then he admitted putting Washington license plates on the Dodge from another car he had purchased for $50, Ries said.