Robbery Suspect Hurt Bystanders

Authorities on Thursday arrested a man suspected of robbing a convenience store, driving into a resident who tried to stop him and kicking the victim’s wife out of a moving car.

Detectives took Ronald Zyskowski into custody about 3:30 p.m. at a relative’s house in the 400 block of South Fiske, sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan said.

Zyskowski, 28, was booked into the county jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery. He will make his first appearance in Spokane County District Court today.

Detectives said Zyskowski robbed the Texaco convenience store at 17128 E. Sprague about 9:20 p.m. Sunday.

A 19-year-old woman who works at the Texaco told deputies the suspect pumped $16.85 worth of gas into his car before entering the store and picking up two packages of cigarettes.

He showed his identification to the clerk for the cigarettes, then ran out the door without paying, Reagan said.

The clerk chased the thief and yelled for her parents, who were also at the store.

Reagan said the trio surrounded the suspect’s car, with the clerk standing beside the passenger door, her 48-year-old father in front of the car and her 53-year-old mother at the open driver’s door.

Instead of giving up, the suspect floored it.

The mother jumped into the car as her husband was thrown up on the hood, “where he was hanging on for dear life,” Reagan said.

The man was pitched into the street as Zyskowski sped east on Sprague, Reagan said. He had scrapes over most of his body and possible internal injuries, The woman told detectives she was in the car for several blocks before Zyskowski threw her out of the silver four-door, turned up the stereo and drove off laughing.

, DataTimes