Employees arrested in car fire

Two Spokane Valley security company employees were arrested Wednesday on charges of setting a company car on fire and reporting it stolen to cover up a crash that occurred in an area one employee was not authorized to patrol.

Daniel N. Hulse was driving the State Protection Services Taurus on Nov. 21 when he crashed it while driving in an area where the company has no properties to protect, Spokane County sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Reagan said. Worried about getting in trouble, the 27-year-old called fellow State Protection Services employee Jeremy W. Valliere for help, Reagan said.

The two burned the car at 13200 N. East Newman Lake Road before Hulse reported it stolen, Reagan said.

Company officials immediately became suspicious and asked their insurance company to make sure it was investigated by the Sheriff’s Office, Operations Manager Brad Tucker said in a written statement.

“We felt strongly that our employee was not telling us the truth and our company, by the nature of its business, must lead by example when dealing with situations like this,” Tucker wrote. “Despite the numerous background checks we perform on all of our personnel, none of those reports can predict poor judgment.”

Both employees were fired. During the investigation, Hulse confessed to what happened, Reagan said.

He was charged with second-degree arson and first-degree malicious mischief. Valliere faces similar charges.