Pair arrested in fatal crash

Thu., Dec. 20, 2007

From Staff Reports The Spokesman-Review

Detectives arrested a Greenacres couple Wednesday in connection with the fatal hit-and-run of a Central Valley High School student. Investigators say a surveillance video was key to getting enough evidence to charge the suspects, Sgt. Dave Reagan said.

Spokane Valley Police detectives seized the Jeep that hit 14-year-old Rick Gomez and had video of two people inside that vehicle shortly after the Nov. 23 crash, Reagan said.

Arrested were 26-year-old Miles Leonard Horn and 26-year-old Miranda L. DuMarce, who owned the Jeep. Horn is charged with felony fatal hit-and-run; DuMarce was arrested at her workplace and booked into jail on a charge of second-degree rendering criminal assistance, Reagan said.

The couple lives at 17408 E. Mansfield Ave., which is where detectives seized the 1991 Jeep Cherokee that investigators later determined was the SUV that struck and killed Gomez, Reagan said.

On Nov. 23, Gomez and three friends were walking northbound on Flora Road when the Jeep struck Gomez just minutes after midnight. The driver fled north and out of sight.

Investigators collected paint chips and broken pieces of grille that night that later were matched to the Jeep.

Also leading to Wednesday’s arrest was security video from a nearby convenience store that shows a male resembling Horn twice pulling into the lighted parking area to examine the front of a red Jeep, Reagan said in a press release.

Along with the video evidence, detective Don Manning located a witness who reported that Horn called the morning of Nov. 24 and told the witness that he had struck something with the Jeep.

DuMarce was charged because she owns the Jeep. She is alleged to have hidden the Jeep in her garage, and her voice could be heard in the background as the witness discussed the collision with Horn, Reagan said.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.