Five Arrested For Taking Items From St. Vincent’S Truck

Five people were arrested for theft when Spokane police found they had unloaded items from a St. Vincent de Paul truck Friday afternoon.

The items - including dining chairs, several articles of clothing and some children’s items - were in the front yard of a woman’s home at 1711 N. Smith. The woman told police the driver was a friend of her boyfriend, said police spokesman Dick Cottam.

When police called the St. Vincent de Paul store manager, he said no one was authorized to remove anything from the truck, Cottam said. Officers arrested the five people involved, plus the boyfriend, who police said had become abusive, Cottam reported.

All six were cited and released. They are Jack W. Nutt, 52, cited for disorderly conduct; Cindy A. Lucier, 44, who lives at 1711 N. Smith; Jamie A. Kern, 20, who gave his address as 2623 W. Maxwell; Mark W. McCalip, 26, who gave his address as 2623 W. Maxwell; Richard V. Rose, 59, who gave his address as 2715 W. Crown; and Francisco V. Medina, 46, who gave his address as 2103 E. Heroy.

The property was returned to the St. Vincent de Paul store. Nutt, Kern, McCalip and Medina all worked for the store, Cottam said.

Rake, brick, tire iron fly during fight

Just after 5 p.m. Saturday, police officers responded to a report of a fight in the 2700 block of East Rowan. When officers arrived, they were told the suspects had just driven away in a van. Other officers stopped the van, which contained eight males, most of them juveniles.

Officers interviewed more than a dozen people, including many neighbors. They said the trouble began when one of the suspects told a 3-year-old girl to call one of the victims a vulgar name. One of the victims told him it was wrong to encourage a small child to use foul language, and the boy went into the house to get his brother, Cottam said.

Witnesses said about eight young men came out of the house at 2726 E. Rowan and began yelling at the people across the street. Someone threw a tire iron through a window at 2727 E. Rowan, and someone threw a brick at a car parked in front of that address, causing damage to one side, Cottam said.

Two people were hit by a rake thrown by one of the young men, and a woman was almost hit by a brick.

After collecting evidence and statements, police had probable cause to book Daniel D. Brian, 21, who gave his address as 2514 N. Hogan, and a 17-year-old for assault and malicious mischief. Brian has six convictions as an adult.

None of those injured required medical care, Cottam said.

Customers help foil theft attempt

A man who robbed a small store last week ran into indignant customers and more legal troubles than the theft was worth.

The owner of the Hillyard Grocery, 5303 N. Market, told police a man walked into his store April 5 about 8:30 p.m. and loitered near the beer cooler, Cottam said.

When the owner approached him, the man suddenly ran toward the door, grabbed two small packages of cashew nuts and ran outside, Cottam said. The store owner attempted to take back the merchandise, and two women and a man grabbed the thief and tried to hold him.

The owner picked up a baseball bat from the store, but the thief took the bat and threatened the owner, Cottam said. Again, the three bystanders jumped the thief, but he threw the two women into a wall and fled, Cottam added.

A police K-9 unit tracked the man several blocks. The officer yelled for the man to stop or he would release the dog, and the man surrendered, Cottam said.

Arrested was Robert Paul Powers, 37, who said he lives in Ritzville, Wash. Powers was identified by several witnesses, and was booked into jail on a first-degree robbery charge. The two packs of cashews were valued at $1.99 each.

Worshippers assaulted

A crazed man rampaging in downtown Spokane Saturday evening was stopped by Spokane police with a choke hold after he stormed a church and attacked parishioners attending evening Mass.

Police received a call about 5:30 p.m. Saturday about a burglary in progress in the skywalk at the Bank of America and the vacant Lamonts building in the 600 block of West Riverside, Spokane police said.

Officers were told the man had smashed several glass doors in the skywalk and threw a metal bar through a window onto Riverside Avenue. He was described as wearing a black shirt and black jeans, but almost immediately police were told he had taken off his shirt and shoes and was running west on Sprague.

Officers searched the downtown area until they received another 911 call that a man without a shirt was assaulting people inside Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, 1115 W. Riverside.

In the church, the man, shirtless and barefoot, had just entered and was screaming, “I am God,” while swearing profusely, said Monsignor James Ribble. Ribble stopped Mass to try to lead the man out, but the man resisted and began flailing his arms.

As other men attempted to confront the intruder, he fought them back and succeeded in hitting several, including an acolyte, whom he kicked in the face. No one was apparently injured.

“He apparently had some kickboxing training,” Ribble said.

About eight officers responded to the church and found the man standing by the altar, surrounded by 14 male members of the congregation who were trying to control him.

One officer tried to take the man into custody but was unable to control him. An officer finally used a choke hold to subdue the man while other officers handcuffed him.

Meanwhile, cantor Kish Annette led the congregation in a soothing rendition of “Amazing Grace” to calm church members and, it was hoped, the intruder.

The man was not to be placated, however, and continued to struggle and scream. Officers also restrained his legs before taking him to jail. Police spokesman Dick Cottam said Franck C. Delgado, 27, who gave an address of 1426 E. 13th, was booked on several counts of assault and burglary.

“Our boys in blue did a fantastic job,” Ribble said.