Coat, purse taken at Santa breakfast

Breakfast with Santa at a Valley high school turned into a meal with an allegedly naughty woman.

Erin Kristine Huntley, 35, was charged with second-degree burglary, Spokane Valley police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said.

School Resource Deputy Jay Bailey arrested the woman Tuesday after he determined items were stolen from a pair of Central Valley High School students during a Breakfast with Santa fund-raiser on Saturday, Reagan said. The deputy reviewed security video and saw a female stealing one student’s coat and another student’s purse during the Santa event.

Bailey made still photos from the video and circulated them via e-mail to all Central Valley School District staff, Reagan said. Several people identified the woman as Huntley, who coincidentally had just been booked into the Spokane County Jail on four warrants charging her with theft.

Bailey contacted Huntley at the jail, Reagan said. The stolen coat and purse both had been booked into jail property because the suspect had them at the time she was arrested.

Huntley was at the Santa breakfast because she had taken a friend’s 9-year-old niece to it.

Extension cords stolen from Hite Crane

A thief stole 16 extension cords from a Spokane Valley business that were powerful enough to run numerous cranes and other pieces of power equipment.

The theft occurred overnight Tuesday at Hite Crane and Rigging, at Broadway and Havana, Reagan said.

An owner of the company suspected the cords were taken for their copper content, Reagan said. By making a call, the owner learned that two suspects had tried to sell the stolen cords at Action Recycling.

The suspect also smashed security lights all over the storage lot, Reagan said. Total estimated loss to the company was $3,000.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call 477-8477.