Woman arrested on drug charges

Spokane Valley Police arrested a trio of drug suspects Tuesday night and early Wednesday, said spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.

Officer Tim Jones was patrolling the area of Flora Road and East Third about 8:20 p.m. when he noted a speeding pickup truck. As he attempted to pace it, the driver made several turns without signaling and then pulled into a residential driveway.

Jones identified the woman behind the wheel as 23-year-old Amanda Gayle Milhouse of Greenacres. He determined her driver’s license was suspended and arrested her for the misdemeanor violation.

Inside her purse he found a prescription pill bottle that had “happy pills” handwritten on the label. A check with Spokane poison control revealed the contents were acetophetamine with hydrocodone and two types of legend medications, all controlled substances.

Jones cited Milhouse’s two passengers for failing to wear seatbelts and released them. Milhouse was booked on a felony count of possession of controlled substance and two counts of possession of legend drugs.

Shoplifting suspect arrested on drug, theft charges

About 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Officer Sarah Stevens was called to the Safeway grocery at 14020 E. Sprague Ave. by security officers who had detained a shoplifting suspect, Reagan said.

The security officers said they watched as the 21-year-old man suspect hid five bottles of iodine in his pants pockets, and then stuffed a package of sirloin steak down the front of his pants.

When the man left without paying for the items, the security officers tried to stop him and the suspect attempted unsuccessfully to run away. While handcuffing and searching the thief, the officers found a knotted baggie containing several tablets.

Iodine is sometimes used as a precursor chemical for methamphetamine production, but the man told Stevens that he had picked up the items for a female friend who had lots of open sores on her face. He selected the steak because he was hungry, he said.

Spokane Valley resident Christopher Lawrence Johnson was booked on a felony count of possession of controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of third-degree theft.

Stevens checked the tablets found by the security officers and determined they were hydrocodone, a prescription pain medication.

Passenger arrested during traffic stop

Officer Dale Wells spotted a vehicle westbound on Sprague Avenue make an improper turn and stopped the car at Mullan Road and Valleyway on Wednesday morning, Reagan said.

While identifying the driver, the officer noticed a male passenger holding a glass drug pipe on his lap. The pipe was seized and it was determined it contained a quantity of methamphetamine.

Wells arrested the passenger, 30-year-old Charles Edward Tucker of Ione, Wash. Tucker was booked into jail on a felony count of possession of controlled substance.

Wells released the driver and a second passenger at the scene.