Man arrested after passing out

Spokane Valley Police arrested a man Wednesday after he fell repeatedly and passed out several times.

The incident began when employees at Dollar Tree, 9211 E. Montgomery Ave., saw a man staggering in the store about 2 p.m., said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan. Employees told police the man fell down several times and kept dropping his money, lighter, and a bottle of unlabeled pills. When the man left the store, employees called police because they were afraid he was going to drive away, Reagan said.

The man, whom police identified as James M. Bodam, 27, went back into the store to purchase something. He passed out at the store’s service counter, Reagan said. After waking, Bodam, 608 E. Garland Ave., walked out of the store and drove north.

Police officers spotted his car stopped in the middle lane of Argonne just south of Trent. Bodam had passed out again, Reagan said. The pills in the bottle were determined to be Valium, for which Bodam did not have a prescription, said Reagan.

Police brought Bodam to a hospital for treatment before arresting him on a charge of driving under the influence and a felony charge of possession of a legend drug.

Three arrested after car stopped

Spokane Valley police arrested three people early Wednesday and confiscated a loaded gun, illegal butterfly knife and drugs.

Police had pulled over a car that was changing lanes improperly just after 2:30 a.m. near Mission Avenue and Mullan Road. Inside was transient Rubin Rodriguez, 19, who was wanted for second-degree malicious mischief (domestic violence), said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan. Police also reportedly found an illegal knife in his pocket.

The man identified by police as the driver, Daniel C. Allen, 30, had been convicted of a felony in the past. Police found a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol in a black CD case under his seat, Reagan said. As a felon, Allen is prohibited from owning or carrying a gun.

Two women were also in the car, along with a purse containing drugs, said Reagan. Police arrested 25-year-old Elsa Castillo, 2931 E. Broad Ave., for possession of methamphetamine.

Allen, 3110 E. Ella Ave., was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Rodriguez was arrested on the warrant and also charged with carrying a concealed dangerous weapon.

Burglars hit Dishman-Mica businesses

Thieves made off with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in two separate burglaries sometime Monday night.

Spokane Valley Police discovered Tuesday morning that a rock had been used to smash out the glass in the front door of T and J’s Pour House, a tavern at 11113 E. Dishman-Mica Road. Some change and frozen food were reported missing by the tavern’s manager, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan.

Employees at Spokane Discount, 523 S. Dishman-Mica Road, reported Tuesday that several thousand dollars of merchandise was stolen from the business’ fenced storage yard. The fencing was cut in a corner of the yard. Several pallets of televisions and stereo systems were taken and police believe the burglar would have needed a car or truck to haul it away, Reagan said.

Anyone with information on either crime is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

Wire stolen from N.A. Degerstrom

A bold burglar reportedly entered the open gate at N.A. Degerstrom early Wednesday and drove away with about 400 pounds of copper wire.

SpokaneValley Police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said a yellow Chevrolet S-10 truck was seen in the company’s storage yard at 3303 N. Sullivan Road around 6 a.m. It was the second time employees had seen the truck, said shop purchasing agent Mike Melius.

“He was in the yard Monday morning,” Melius said. “He was just cruising.”

The business wasn’t open, but some employees had arrived early and opened the gate, he said. No one noticed what was happening until the truck drove off, and it was still too dark to get the truck’s license plate, Melius said.

He wasn’t sure how much the wire was worth but guessed that the thieves would strip the plastic and sell the copper for scrap.

Police are asking anyone with information on the theft to call Crime Check at 456-2233.