Briefly
Suspect arrested in rape case
Spokane police arrested a 34-year-old man on suspicion of drugging and raping a woman Saturday afternoon on South Jefferson Street.
Jason R. Puckett, 34, was booked into the Spokane County Jail on charges of first-degree rape, said police spokesman Dick Cottam.
The rape occurred in an apartment in the 1200 block of South Jefferson mid-afternoon, Cottam said, and details of the crime were still emerging Saturday.
“It’s not clear whether he broke into the apartment or was in the apartment and broke into her bedroom,” Cottam said.
Once he was inside the bedroom, he “apparently administered some sort of drug to the victim” and raped her, Cottam said.
The woman managed to call police at some point during the attack, and when officers arrived, Puckett ran. Officers chased him down in the vicinity of Third and Walnut, subdued him with a taser gun and took him into custody, Cottam said.
Puckett has a long criminal record, Cottam said.
Secret Witness seeks information
Secret Witness is offering a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of a 29-year-old man with a history of drugs and theft.
Adrian Leroy Seymore is wanted on suspicion of felony possession of drugs and theft of a firearm, said Dick Cottam, Spokane police spokesman. He has eight previous convictions in Spokane, including two for possession of a controlled substance, one for theft, one for vehicle prowling and one for possession of a dangerous weapon.
Seymore is white, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 155 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Anyone with information regarding Seymore’s 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 name to be eligible for the cash reward.
Three people hurt in I-90 accident
Three people were injured in a three-car accident on Interstate 90 west of Ritzville on Saturday afternoon, the Washington State Patrol reported.
The accident occurred at about 2 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the interstate at milepost 210, 11 miles west of Ritzville. A 1996 Dodge pickup driven by 17-year-old Amy K. Barden, of St. Maries, Idaho, was pulled over on the side of the freeway, and Sandra L. Boone, 64, was outside securing a load, the WSP said.
A 1989 Honda Accord driven by Pamela M. McDonald, 51, of Okanogan, approached in the right lane and began to move left to avoid the pickup on the side of the road. But the left lane was occupied by a 1995 Ford, which swerved and rolled in the median.
The Accord swerved back, striking Boone and the pickup along the side of the freeway, the state patrol said. The Accord burst into flames and was engulfed by the fire, the WSP said.
Boone was airlifted to Deaconess Medical Center, where she was in critical condition Saturday night. McDonald was treated at East Adams Rural Hospital in Ritzville, and a passenger in her vehicle, Eunice M. Ball, 85, was taken to Deaconess. She was in satisfactory condition Saturday night.
Helicopter rescues climbers
Longmire, Wash. A Chinook helicopter flew two stranded climbers off Mount Rainier on Saturday morning, two days after they called for help saying they were unhurt but in over their heads.
Rangers did not rush to rescue Al Hancock, 44, of Fort McMurray, Alberta, and Bruce Penn, 48, of Connecticut, since they said they had food and fuel and weren’t in immediate danger.
Instead, rangers focused on recovering the body of one man who died while climbing the difficult Liberty Ridge route and looking for his climbing partner, who is presumed dead.
Ansel Vizcaya, 29, from Missoula, Mont., and his climbing partner, Luke Casady, 29, of Stevensville, Mont., climbed Liberty Ridge along the north side of the 14,411-foot peak, where two others have died in recent weeks.
Casady’s body was recovered early Friday from the 9,000-foot elevation on Carbon Glacier below Liberty Ridge. Rangers believe an avalanche swept Casady 4,000 feet to his death and might have claimed his partner as well.
Searchers found Vizcaya’s backpack near where they found Casady’s body.