Toy guns cause genuine scare

Spokane Police responded in force Sunday afternoon when a caller reported seeing two or three gun-wielding men on the roof of the Rock Pointe Tower parking garage on North Washington.

Officers with rifles took cover in surrounding buildings and watched as more officers conducted a floor-by-floor search for the reported gunmen.

The suspects turned out to be two 15-year-olds armed only with plastic guns, police spokesman Dick Cottam said in a news release.

A woman had called police at about 12:30 p.m. and said she saw men carrying guns at the garage, 1330 N. Washington St.

As more than a dozen officers arrived, the two teenagers – who were both dressed in green camouflage and carrying packs – walked out the door. Officers found plastic pistols and other fakes that looked like Uzi machine guns.

Sgt. Marc Wheelwright talked to the two boys who said they were just playing army.

Neither had a police record and officers drove them home.

Man arrested on suspicion of robbery

Spokane Valley Police arrested a 27-year-old Spokane man in connection with a residential robbery reported at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Officers booked Lamar T. McKenzay, 27, of 3911 E. Second Avenue, on felony charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and second-degree theft.

The incident began, police said, when McKenzay confronted a man working in his garage in the 6800 block of East Seventh. The victim told police he only vaguely knew McKenzay as a friend of a former female acquaintance, police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan said in a press release.

In the garage, McKenzay displayed a collapsible metal baton and hinted that he had a pistol in his waistband, Reagan said. McKenzay told the man that he was there to collect a debt owed to the former female acquaintance, Reagan said.

McKenzay then entered the victim’s home, taking an electric heater, stereo amplifier, computer printer, a cordless phone and other items, police said. A second man was called to help carry the items.

Later Sunday morning, the man called to help McKenzay showed up at a local hospital for treatment of head injuries consistent with blows from a metal baton. After he was treated, officers followed the man to McKenzay’s location and arrested him on the charge of residential robbery.

At the time they found McKenzay, he was with the victim’s former acquaintance, 37-year-old Jamie L. Gudgel, 3913 E. Second. She was taken into custody when officers discovered that she had a small quantity of methamphetamine. Officers were able to recover some of the items taken from the Spokane Valley address, Reagan said.

Teen, grandfather killed in crash

Coulee City, Wash. A Raymond man and his granddaughter were killed after their van slammed into the side of a logging truck and caught fire Saturday afternoon just north of Coulee City.

Three other family members were seriously injured.

The victims were Don Haerling, 74, and Patricia Haerling, 14, of Manson.

The accident occurred at the intersection of state Route 172 and state Route 17, 50 miles southwest of Wenatchee.

Haerling’s wife, Lila, 71; his son, Mike, 52; and daughter-in-law, Jean, 48, were airlifted to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, where they were listed in serious condition.

State Trooper Rich Magnussen said heavy fog may have played a part in the accident. It appeared Haerling failed to stop at a stop sign, and collided into the side of the southbound logging truck, Magnussen said.

Stephen Fillion, 46, of Cawston, B.C., was driving the logging truck. He was not injured, but his truck was heavily damaged.