Purse-Snatching Attempt Causes Collision With Van

A not-so-alert purse snatcher rode his bike into a moving-van at 8 p.m. Saturday after trying to flee from the KMart parking lot at 6606 N. Division.

Witnesses told police a man, was riding a bicycle through the parking lot. He grabbed a woman’s purse as he rode by before hitting the van, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

The man fell and tried to run, but he was tackled by two men and a woman in the parking lot and was held until police arrived, Cottam said.

Officers found two marijuana pipes and a crack pipe in the man’s coat pocket.

Booked into jail on charges of first degree robbery was Stephan E. Griffen, 36, who gave his address as 7520 N. Stevens.

In an unrelated incident later that night, a woman told police she had just parked at a business in the 7400 block of North Nevada at 10:15 p.m.

As she got out of her car, she turned to find a man standing in front of her demanding money and a ride, Cottam said.

He grabbed for her purse but she kicked him in the shin and pushed him. She said the man fell to the pavement, and she ran to the business, police said.

The woman was not injured and lost nothing. She described the robber as white, about 20 years old, 5-feet-8-inches to 6-feet tall, and 160-pounds with short blond hair.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

Drug suspect arrested

Spokane police arrested a man on drug-related charges following his arrest in the attempted murder of a gang member.

Jason V. Steel, 28, was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver last month. Police found 11 weapons and a substantial amount of crack cocaine at an apartment in the 1800 block of West College, Cottam said.

The day before his arrest, police arrested 29-year-old Robert Collier on a charge of attempted murder of a gang member. Collier used the College Avenue apartment as an occasional residence, police said.