Man with record arrested after woman on walk robbed

A Spokane Valley man with an extensive criminal record was arrested again Saturday after robbing a woman of $5, according to Spokane Police.

Lonnie D. Lacy, 24, was booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery after he allegedly stopped a woman in east Spokane, grabbed her coat and reached into her pocket for money, police said. Lacy, who lives at 9625 E. Broadway Ave., has had 13 convictions ranging from domestic violence and assault to theft and drug possession.

The victim, a woman in her 50s, told police she was robbed during a walk early Saturday morning after a blue 1993 Chevrolet Corsica pulled up beside her near East Riverside Avenue and North Smith Street.

One of the passengers in the car got out of the vehicle and approached her. He called her a name, according to a press release from Spokane police, and asked if she had money and whether she wanted to buy drugs.

After the woman said no, the man grabbed her coat and reached into her pocket. The man then knocked her cell phone to the ground and took a $5 bill, according to the press release. The robber got back into the car, which was driven away by a woman in her 30s.

The victim noted the car’s license plate and called 911.

About 45 minutes after interviewing the victim, police officers found the blue Chevrolet Corsica a few blocks away at Riverside and North Cook Street.

They also discovered four adults in the car. The victim identified Lacy as the man who robbed her, police said.

Officers also arrested another passenger, 39-year-old Carlo M. Cerutti of north Spokane, for violation of a court order. According to police, the driver of the car had a no-contact order against him.

Reward offered for tips on man

A reward is being offered by Secret Witness for information leading to the arrest of Steven D. McBride.

McBride, 37, is currently wanted on a warrant charging him with burglary, Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

McBride has 48 convictions in Spokane, including six for possessing drugs, seven for driving under the influence, two for burglary and two others for vehicle prowling, Cottam said in a press release.

McBride is listed as a repeat offender because of his criminal history, Cottam said. He stands 5-foot-8, 175-pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call Secret Witness at 327-5111. Callers are asked to use a code name and do not have to give their own name to be eligible for the reward, Cottam said.

Holiday affects services, businesses

Here’s how the Memorial Day holiday will affect some services, offices and businesses in the Spokane area:

• Garbage and recyclables will not be picked up Monday by the city of Spokane or Waste Management. Collection for both services will be one day late for the remainder of the week. Solid waste transfer stations and the Waste-to-Energy Plant will be closed Monday.

• Parking meters in Spokane and at Eastern Washington University will not be enforced Monday.

• Spokane Transit Authority buses will run on a Sunday schedule on Monday.

• City of Spokane libraries will be closed Monday and Tuesday; Spokane County libraries will be closed Monday.

• Post offices will be closed Monday, and regular mail delivery will not be provided except to boxes at 904 W. Riverside Ave. and 1602 E. Sprague Ave. Mail collection will not occur Monday, but Express Mail deliveries will be made.

• City, county, state and federal offices will be closed Monday.

• The Spokane Regional Health District will be closed Monday.

• Area colleges and public schools will be closed Monday.

• State liquor stores will be closed Monday.

• NorthTown, Spokane Valley and River Park Square malls will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

Port inspected for contamination

The Washington State Patrol Port of Entry was closed for several hours Friday to check for radioactive contamination two days after a truck delivering radioactive waste to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation was inspected there, WSP reported in a press release.

On Friday, WSP was notified by the truck’s driver that an inspection at Hanford revealed that the truck’s trailer floor had minute levels of Tritium residue.

The state Department of Health determined that levels of contamination in the trailer did not pose a public health risk, WSP said.

Tritium is used to maintain nuclear weapons. The isotope also is used in lighted devices such as exit signs, according to an Environmental Protection Agency Web site.

The truck, which was operated by Southern Pines Trucking of Pennsylvania, was inspected at the Port of Entry on Wednesday, WSP said.

The port was reopened after an inspection showed no contamination, WSP said.