Costco shopper has purse snatched
An elderly woman fell victim to a purse-snatching at the East Sprague Costco on Tuesday afternoon.
A man grabbed the 88-year-old woman’s purse from her shopping cart as she was loading groceries into her car about 1:10 p.m., said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan. The woman was not injured.
Another woman and her adult son noticed the commotion from a nearby IHOP restaurant and followed the man, Reagan said. They got the license plate of the getaway car.
The suspect was between 20 and 30 years old, 6-feet tall and 150 pounds. Witnesses said the man was wearing glasses and a maroon stocking cap that was gray at the top.
The driver of the getaway car, a 1980s Toyota Corolla, was a white male, about 30 with a thin build, a mustache and goatee. The driver had brown, shoulder-length hair.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Spokane Valley Police at 242-TIPS.
Home-grown pot operation busted
Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies busted a pot-growing operation in a Spokane Valley home Tuesday morning.
The investigators seized 14 mature marijuana plants growing in the basement, then detectives went to Hotstart Mfg. and arrested 50-year-old Kenneth Wayne Morton, who lived at the house, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Detectives starting investigating the house at 3714 N. Edgerton after receiving a tip. The detectives visited the house and could smell marijuana.
Burglars hit area businesses
Burglars hit four Valley businesses Monday, and Spokane Valley Police are hoping to get information about the crimes.
Sometime between Saturday and Monday, somebody broke into Don Juan Tailoring, 1439 N. Argonne Road, and stole $1,800 of sport coats and tuxedos. The burglar also stole business checks, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Somebody also broke into Pilgrim’s Vitamins at 9118 E. Sprague Ave., and stole petty cash.
Another break-in at Doctored Locks Hair Extensions, 7406 E. Sprague Ave., happened over the weekend and somebody stole a tool box with more than $200 in tools, Reagan said.
Finally, somebody broke into Audio Installations Monday night and stole a 12-inch subwoofer speaker box, but the thieves were unable to take radios from a display.
Anyone with information is asked to call Spokane Valley Police at 242-TIPS.
Cash, tips taken from Starbucks
A man took cash from two registers and the change in a tip jar at the Starbucks at 6630 E. Sprague Ave., Sunday night.
The robber entered the store around 8:30 p.m. Sunday and told employees he had a gun, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan. He demanded cash and put the money in a Starbucks brown bag with handles. He also grabbed the tip jar from the counter and took off running.
Employees did not see the man run to a vehicle, and a K-9 officer could not track the suspect, Reagan said.
The man was wearing a black turtleneck pulled up to his eyes, black pants and a black, zippered, hooded sweatshirt. He also wore black gloves and a black beaniestyle stocking cap, Reagan said.
Nobody was injured, and a weapon was never seen. Anyone with information should call officers at 242-TIPS.