Video store clerk’s wallet recovered at customer’s home
A 30-year-old man told police he stole a wallet at a video store because he had financial problems. Now he’s facing a felony charge.
The theft was caught on a security camera Friday at Hollywood Video, 10614 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley police spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan. Spokane Valley police responded to Hollywood Video after an employee discovered his wallet was missing about 9:30 p.m., Reagan said. The employee told an officer his wallet had been sitting on the sales counter and disappeared. The officer reviewed the security tape and saw a customer take the wallet and pocket it.
Police got the man’s name and address from his rental agreement then went to his home, Reagan said. Nathan C. Stripe, 420 S. Farr, was charged with second-degree theft. The wallet was recovered with $400 cash still inside.
Car stereo faceplates stolen
A burglar broke a window to steal car stereo faceplates from an automobile business, which are useless unless you have the stereo that goes with them.
Police are looking for anyone with information regarding the Thursday night break-in at Frontier Auto, 8101 E. Trent Ave., Reagan said.
An employee at the business called police Friday morning after he discovered 10 to 15 stereo faceplates missing from an office, Reagan said. Employees had been taking the faceplates out of vehicles to discourage would-be burglars from breaking into them to steal the stereos.
The burglar broke the office window to gain access to the building, Reagan said.
Anyone with information should call 242-8477.
Minors connected to vandalism
Reading the writing on the church wall Monday afternoon led Spokane Valley police to three vandalism suspects.
Two 12-year-old boys and a 13-year-old girl were arrested in connection with vandalism and damage caused to Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1802 N. Raymond Road, Reagan said. They were each charged with a felony count of second-degree malicious mischief.
About 3:10 p.m. Monday, a church employee called police to report spray-painted graffiti on the church walls and a kicked in storage shed door, Reagan said. The employee told police this was the most recent vandalism in a string of incidents spanning over the past several weeks.
The graffiti was hate/bias types of slogans, Reagan said. One of the symbols was a swastika, and another was painted with a girl’s name and phone number.
The officer photographed the graffiti and later called the phone number from the wall, Reagan said. The number didn’t belong to any of the suspects, but it led to the home where two of them lived. The 12-year-old boy and his 13-year-old sister were arrested, and then police went to another Spokane Valley home to arrest the other 12-year-old boy.
Fugitive arrested on drug charges
A wanted fugitive attempted to ditch his drugs Sunday as he ran from Spokane Valley police.
Police responded to Ringo’s Casino, 11420 E. Sprague Ave., Sunday afternoon after receiving a Secret Witness tip that Robinson was working there, Reagan said. Police contacted the wanted fugitive and when they were about to put handcuffs on him, he ran east on Bowdish Road.
An officer saw the man throw down several baggies as he fled, Reagan said. Police determined the baggies contained marijuana and possibly crack cocaine.
Brian S. Robinson, 30, was booked into Spokane County jail on a warrant charging him with several counts of delivery of a controlled substance. He now faces additional felony counts for possession of cocaine and marijuana, Reagan said.
Robinson was also charged with obstructing a public servant, Reagan said. He was being held at Spokane County jail Tuesday on $30,000 bail.
Bike, stolen items recovered
A prolific garage burglar and his girlfriend were arrested Friday when they tried to sell a hot bicycle to a man in the know about the theft.
A local radio show personality had described the stolen Haro brand, 18-speed mountain bike during a broadcast earlier this month and the man had heard it, Reagan said. He called police when the couple arrived at 12100 E. Trent Ave. Friday afternoon to sell him the bike, and they were arrested.
Charles L. Prater, 45, and Ostennia M. Curry, 38, were each charged with first-degree trafficking in stolen property and second-degree possession of stolen property.
Prater was already facing six felony charges in connection with a previous investigation by the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office’s property crimes task force, Reagan said. Prater had been cooperative with police regarding where he’d committed thefts and where the stolen property was located, so he wasn’t booked into jail.
Detectives recovered a vanload of stolen items from Prater’s home, Reagan said. An investigation into the man’s activities is ongoing.