Man Charged In Theft From Building Site

Fri., July 21, 2000

From Staff

A man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and theft after a police officer saw him pushing a handcart loaded with a large oxygen bottle at Fourth and Stevens about 3:15 a.m. Thursday.

The officer asked the man where he obtained the unusual items at that time of night and the man said he had just purchased it from someone, according to Spokane police spokesman Dick Cottam.

The officer suggested the man had just stolen the items from the adjacent Lewis and Clark High School construction site. The man said no, he had found the rig sitting on the sidewalk near the construction site and he assumed they were trash.

The officer found an opening in the fence around the site and the foreman identified the tank as belonging to the Shea Construction Co.

Todd William Coats, 32, was booked into jail on burglary and theft charges. Coats has 19 convictions, including three for theft, three for criminal trespassing, one for lewdness and one for child molestation, according to police.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.