Suspect sought in East Farms crimes
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man believed to have been involved in several early morning crimes.
Deputies got several calls between 6 and 7 a.m. Sunday of vehicles being broken into as well as a purse theft in the East Farms area.
A 39-year-old man called deputies to report that three of his cars, which had been left unlocked at his home in the 5000 block of North Chase Road, had been prowled. A knife and screwdriver were left in one of the cars. A newspaper carrier had spotted a suspect opening a door. The suspect allegedly got out a gun and asked the delivery person why he was following him. The carrier said he was afraid he was going to be shot and told the man he was just delivering the newspaper.
The suspect was described as being a thin man in his mid-20s, approximately 5 feet 11 inches tall, with brown hair and acne. The carrier said he was driving a white car.
A second call came from the 24000 block of East Garland Avenue. The 61-year-old homeowner woke up when he heard banging noises.
The victim reported he saw a man trying to pry open his car door with a crowbar. The victim asked the man what he was doing, and the suspect left in a white car with a Montana license plate. The suspect was described as being in his mid-20s with bad teeth and a bad complexion.
A 44-year-old woman also reported her purse had been stolen from the kitchen table of her residence on East Eastland sometime between 6 and 8 a.m.
On Monday, Spokane Valley police got a call of a man slumped over the steering wheel of a car in the 6400 block of East Eighth Avenue. When firefighters went to check on the man’s welfare, he drove away.
Nearby, in the 6800 block of East 11th Avenue, police found the white car abandoned. It had Montana license plates and had been reported stolen. The car matched the description of the one involved in the earlier East Farms incidents.
Police contacted the residents at 6807 E. 11th Ave. near where the car was parked. One of the men there, Justin D. Trent, 24, was arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for drunken driving.
Police did not find anyone matching the suspect’s description.
Anyone with information on the incidents should call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Car, truck set fire Sunday
A car and a truck were set ablaze in separate incidents Sunday.
Both fires are considered suspicious, fire officials said.
A stolen Dodge pickup truck was driven to a field in Valleyford and torched, said Dan Blystone, acting chief for Fire District 8.
Neighbors called to report the burning truck at 12:30 a.m. Sunday. It had been stolen earlier from an apartment complex, Blystone said.
The fire started in the cab and gutted it, Blystone said.
A second car fire was reported early Sunday in the parking lot of Hotteez, a nightclub at 20 N. Raymond Road. A vintage dune buggy was set ablaze while the owner was inside the club, said Kevin Miller, deputy fire marshal for Spokane Valley Fire Department.
It appears something such as a lighter or match was dropped onto one of the seats, Miller said.
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Pair arrested after stolen truck spotted by owners
A man and woman spotted their stolen pickup truck and ended up helping police recover a load of stolen property.
The couple called police after seeing their stolen 1975 Ford pickup truck driving into the Jack in the Box restaurant at 1505 N. Pines Road Sunday at 10 a.m. As they watched, a second man pulled up on a motorcycle, put something in the truck and continued eating a hamburger as if waiting for the driver of the truck to come outside.
Police showed up and saw the pickup truck and motorcycle on the north side of the building.
When police neared, the man on the motorcycle dropped his hamburger and drove out of the lot.
Several police followed the motorcycle while Officer Travis Hansen went to talk to the driver of the pickup truck. The driver started to walk away from the officer toward the bathrooms. The officer handcuffed him, fearing the suspect would flee, according to police.
The man was identified as William C. Casteel, 38, of Idaho.
Inside the truck and an attached trailer, police found chairs, tarps, backpacks, flashlights, knives, cell phones and suitcases, said Cpl. Dave Reagan, spokesman for the Spokane Valley Police Department.
Several of the items had names written or inscribed on them. Police contacted people whose names were on the property and several said the items had been stolen, Reagan said.
Casteel was arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property and also for allegedly possessing methamphetamine when a small amount of the drug was found in his clothes, Reagan said.
Meanwhile, several officers followed the motorcycle, eventually cornering the driver in an apartment complex at 1317 N. Pines Road. The driver allegedly attempted to escape and hit the rear bumper of the patrol car and fell off the motorcycle, Reagan said.
The motorcycle had been reported stolen and had been started with a screwdriver, according to Reagan.
The man, later identified as Charles W. Miller, 34, of Airway Heights, was arrested on suspicion of first degree possession of stolen property as well as for driving with a suspended license.
Both men were booked into the Spokane County Jail. Investigation into the incident is continuing, Reagan said.
Employee’s arrival foils thieves
An employee surprised two men trying to steal a large welder from a business.
The 30-year-old employee of Intermountain Fabricators, 6014 E. Knox Ave., went to work on an engine at 8:05 p.m. Sunday.
When the employee arrived, he saw a red Ford Ranger with Idaho license plates in front of the business. Two males in their early 20s were leaving the gated property with a welder, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.
One of the thieves asked the employee for help loading the welder into the truck, police said.
The employee asked him who they were, and the men left, leaving the welder behind. The employee then noticed the padlock to the gate had been cut. The building itself was secure.
Anyone with information should call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Shrubs swiped overnight from Green Thumb Nursery
Shrubbery was stolen from a Greenacres nursery overnight Sunday.
Green Thumb Nursery, 16816 E. Sprague Ave., was burglarized between 8:30 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.
The thief cut a hole in the chain link fence. There were 36 arborvitae and four junipers stolen, each about 4 feet tall. The owner estimated the loss at approximately $1,400, police said.
Anyone with information about this burglary is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
Burglar smashed door, took cash from tavern
A burglar smashed the glass in the door of a Spokane Valley tavern Tuesday and stole a small amount of cash.
An alarm alerted police to the break-in at Mike’s Welcome Tavern, 21 S. Dishman-Mica Road, about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday.
A worker told police he’d seen a suspect run across the nearby Union Pacific Railroad tracks. It appeared the burglar used an old car jack to smash the glass, according to the Spokane Valley Police Department.
It appeared the burglar had stolen some cash. Nothing else appeared to have been missing.
Anyone with information should call Crime Check at 456-2233.