Briefly

Police seek man who left work crew

A man with a long history of violence walked away from a work crew Saturday and was being sought by Spokane Police.

Police say John Archer Wayne, 52, has 30 convictions on his Spokane County record. The list includes robbery, domestic violence, assaults on officers and probation violations.

Wayne was part of a Geiger Work Release crew that was working Saturday morning at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. He was discovered to be missing about 10:30 a.m., said police spokesman Dick Cottam.

Wayne is described as a white male, 5-foot-4, 150 pounds, with gray hair and a beard. Because of his history, he is listed as a “caution” suspect by law enforcement.

Anyone with information about Wayne’s whereabouts is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

Reward offered for man facing 23 felonies

Secret Witness is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of a man who faces 23 felony counts for allegedly stealing from an 87-year-old Spokane man with dementia.

Police say William Lee Roberts, 38, will be charged with residential burglary, first-degree identity theft, numerous forgeries, theft and possession of stolen property. His alleged victim died of natural causes in May.

Roberts allegedly befriended the man last August and persuaded him to make Roberts a co-signer on his American Express, Visa and MasterCard accounts, Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam has previously said. He is suspected of taking nearly $80,000 in goods and services through fraud.

Roberts allegedly opened or compromised 22 accounts using the elderly man’s name.

A nationwide warrant was issued for the arrest of Roberts, whom prosecutors call “a menace” to seniors.

Anyone with information about Roberts’ whereabouts is asked to call Secret Witness at 327-5111. Callers are asked to use a code name or number, and do not have to give their own names to be eligible for the award.

Four injured in one-car rollover accident

Four people were injured Saturday afternoon in a vehicle rollover on state highway 206, north of Spokane.

The accident occurred at 3:29 p.m., when the westbound vehicle went off the road, rolled onto its top and came to a rest on its right side.

No one in the 1972 Chevrolet was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Jesse Lee Christoffi, Randal Gordon Lewis, Ruthanna Lawson and David Kenneth Garber each were taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center.

Lawson was discharged Saturday evening and the others remained in satisfactory condition.

Plane crash kills 1, injures 3 others

Cle Elum, Wash. A small plane that lost power shortly after takeoff crashed Saturday, killing one person and injuring three others, Kittitas County Sheriff’s officials said.

Undersheriff Clayton Myers said a single-Engine Piper crashed around 6:50 p.m., shortly after taking off from Cle Elum Airport. The plane didn’t hit any structures and no one on the ground was injured.

Delila Bannister, 62, of Cle Elum, died at the scene. Her husband, Larry Bannister, 64; daughter Tammy Clements, 40; and Clements’ husband, Ron Clements, 43, were taken to Kittitas Valley Community Hospital in Ellensburg.

Ron Clements, the pilot, was later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center, Myers said, and Larry Bannister was en route.