Officials to appoint temporary sheriff

County commissioners will meet Friday to appoint a temporary sheriff.

Mark Sterk’s resignation as sheriff is effective Friday, and commissioners plan to appoint Undersheriff Larry Lindskog to the post for a few weeks while they decide who should fill the position until Sterk’s term is up at the end of the year.

Lindskog has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1998, when he was appointed operations director by Sterk. Before that, he was a traffic officer with the Spokane Police Department, where he served for 29 years.

Three department employees are vying for the sheriff’s position. They are Lt. Jim Finke, Sgt. Ozzie Knezovich and Spokane Valley police Chief Cal Walker.

Commissioners will meet for Lindskog’s appointment at 1 p.m. Friday in their boardroom at the county courthouse.

They plan to interview the three sheriff’s candidates in a public meeting at noon April 10 at the county’s Human Resources Department, 1229 W. Mallon Ave.

Man released after assault plea

A 32-year-old Spokane man was released from jail Wednesday after he admitted he poured semen into a woman’s hair at the Spokane Valley Mall last March.

Roderick Glenn Thomas pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation and was sentenced by District Court Judge Vance Peterson to the 122 days in jail he had already served. Peterson suspended the remainder of a one-year jail term and a $500 fine on condition that Thomas stay out of trouble for a year.

Thomas had been charged with three counts.

A sheriff’s detective discovered several similar incidents at the Spokane Valley and NorthTown malls after interviewing a woman who worked at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the Spokane Valley Mall. The woman discovered the back of her shirt was wet after a man approached her while she was seated on the floor to arrange some books.

Investigators were able to recover evidence from her shirt and arrested Thomas at his home at 1604 E. North Crescent Ave.

Spokane

Rape report false, police say

A woman’s recent reported robbery and rape were false, Spokane police said Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Spokane woman, whose name has not been released, told police she was raped and robbed about 7 p.m. March 23 near Boone and Monroe, but during a second interview with detectives she said the events did not occur, spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee said.

Police are asking the prosecutor’s office to charge the woman with making a false statement to police, a gross misdemeanor, Lee said.

Spokane Valley

Sex offender moves to East Sprague

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office wants to notify residents that a level 3 sex offender has moved into the 4900 block of East Sprague Avenue.

Lynn C. Allen, 46, was convicted of third-degree child molestation in 2003, spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan said. Allen’s victim was 16 months old.

Allen is described as white, 5 feet 10 inches tall and 165 pounds, with brown hair and eyes.

Rail work will close Montgomery Drive

Montgomery Drive will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday between Woodruff and University.

The closure is necessary for Union Pacific to perform rail maintenance. A detour using University and Trent will be available.

Compiled from staff reports