Same burglar may have hit Fairfield businesses
Two Fairfield businesses were likely victims of the same burglar last weekend.
Beer, cigarettes, Pepsi and a laptop computer made up most of the haul.
An employee at Fairfield One Stop, 303 S. First, found the back door of the business kicked open just before 7 a.m. Saturday, said Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan.
The thief stole cash, 40 packs of cigarettes, eight cartons of cigarettes and chewing tobacco. Numerous cases of Coors, Budweiser and Keystone beer as well as cases of Pepsi and Sprite were also stolen, Reagan said.
Sheriff’s deputy Steve Martone found packages of cigarettes that had been dropped on the ground as well as a red shirt possibly discarded by the burglar, Reagan said. The items were taken as evidence.
Also burglarized early Saturday morning was the nearby True Value Hardware store at 101 N. Railroad Ave.
A window on the east side of the building was broken. The burglar attempted to open a cash register but was unsuccessful, Reagan said. However, the register printed out a receipt at 4:35 a.m.
In the end, the thief took a Hewlett-Packard laptop computer, Reagan said.
It’s believed the same burglar is responsible for both break-ins, Reagan said, and that a vehicle of some type was used to haul away the stolen items.
Anyone with information regarding either break-in is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Man charged in espresso stand break-in
A 23-year-old man was arrested for burglary after setting off an alarm at a Spokane Valley espresso stand.
Spokane Valley Police Department officers went to Walnut Street Perk Espresso, 15918 E. Sprague Ave., about 4:20 a.m. Saturday. Officers found the south entry door had been partly pried open, but no one appeared to have entered the building, according to a Valley Police Department press release.
As two officers checked the area, they found a man lying in tall grass nearby, Police said. The man got on a bike and started pedaling away when police approached, according to the press release.
Officer Tim Jones began chasing the suspect, who abandoned his bike near an apartment complex. Jones caught up with the suspect and arrested him without incident, according to Police.
The man, identified as Michael R. Stover, 10625 E. Trent Ave., was wearing cotton gloves. Not far from his abandoned bicycle, officers found a metal bar which allegedly matched pry marks left on the door frame of the espresso stand, police said.
Stover was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary, a felony.
Teens charged with theft from bakery
Three teenagers were arrested by police after a Spokane Valley bakery was burglarized.
Officer Jeff Getchell was patrolling the area near Entenmann’s Bakery, 5424 E. Sprague Ave., at 2:20 a.m. Sunday when he saw three teenagers ride bicycles from behind the building, according to a Spokane Valley Police Department press release.
Getchell saw that each of the boys had heavy, white bags hanging from their handlebars, police said.
Getchell stopped the three teenagers nearby. Initially, the teenaged boys told Getchell they’d bought the soda, chips, doughnuts and cookies in their bags. But further investigation revealed the suspects had entered Entenmann’s through an unlocked back door, Police said.
The 15-year-old and two 13-year-olds were arrested for felony theft and were booked into the Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center.
Police seek information on Pizza Hut break-in
The Spokane Valley Police Department is looking for information about a break-in at a North Pines Road pizza parlor.
Employees of Pizza Hut, 1207 N. Pines Road, discovered the break-in at 8 a.m. Saturday.
The thief pried open the drive-through window of the restaurant sometime after 1 a.m. Saturday and then smashed the cash register, making off with approximately $10, Police said.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.