Man Held In Thefts Of Bowlers’ Purses

Wed., Jan. 27, 1999

From Staff Reports

Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a man suspected of burglarizing the homes of women who had their purses stolen at Spokane-area bowling alleys.

Deputy Shawn Hause spotted Christopher Brett Runge, 30, Tuesday morning in the 5000 block of East Fourth Avenue, chased him down on foot and arrested him, deputies said.

Runge was booked into the Spokane County Jail on six outstanding warrants including misdemeanor theft and traffic charges, first-degree theft, failure to return to work release, possession of a controlled substance and second-degree theft. His bond was not set.

Runge is suspected of taking the purses of several women at local bowling alleys, using their driver’s licenses to find where they lived and their keys to enter their homes and burglarize them.

Deputies identified him through surveillance video from a bowling alley where purses had been stolen.

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