Landlord’s widower files suit
A landlord shot to death by a tenant in Coeur d’Alene two years ago should have been trained on how to deal with dangerous renters, a lawsuit filed this week claims.
Bette Fears, 67, died Aug. 8, 2007, when Evelyn Botto, 44, shot her in the office of the Park Place Apartments, 3825 Ramsey Road, then turned the gun on herself.
Coeur d’Alene lawyer Gary Amendola filed a lawsuit Aug. 4 against Black Realty Management in Kootenai County District Court on behalf of Fears’ husband, Otis L. Fears.
The property management company knew Botto had mental problems and a history of lodging unfounded noise complaints but never trained Bette Fears on how to deal with her and never put a security system in place, according to the lawsuit.
A Black Realty Management representative was not available for comment. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Police say man shot wife
A 43-year-old Grant County man is wanted for first-degree assault for shooting his wife more than six times, officials said.
Baltazar Garcia Beltran, of Quincy, has a warrant out for his arrest in connection with the July 31 shooting of Luz Beltran, 40.
The couple’s 15-year-old daughter called 911 about 11 p.m. and said her father had shot her mother, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home in the 6000 block of Adams Road, about seven miles southeast of George, and found Luz Beltran lying in the driveway with several gunshot wounds.
Yakima County deputies found Baltazar Beltran’s car with the license plates removed, but Beltran hasn’t been located. Grant County deputies will search that car next week.
Suspect refuses attorney
LA GRANDE, Ore. – An Oregon man accused of a triple killing has refused to be represented by an attorney.
Gregory Alvin Cook, a La Grande house painter, is charged with aggravated murder in the deaths of two men and a woman in the Elgin area last month.
Union County District Attorney Tim Thompson said Cook repeatedly refused to consult a lawyer at his arraignment Thursday.
Cook has admitted he is responsible for the killings in two separate encounters with reporters, saying he was high on meth when he did it.
Cook also told Judge Phillip Mendiguren he has cooperated with investigators and he denied being insane or suicidal.
The judge appointed Ken Hadley, a former Baker County district attorney qualified to represent people in death penalty cases, to represent Cook, despite his refusal.
Six post offices spared
TACOMA – The Postal Service has decided not to close six post offices in Washington that had been considered for closing to save money, including the Trentwood branch in Spokane.
The News Tribune of Tacoma reports the Tacoma postmaster told a Thursday night meeting that officials determined the offices were too important to their communities to close. Spokesman Ernie Swanson confirmed Friday the six post offices will remain open.
Two are in Tacoma and one is in Spokane. The others are Federal Station in Seattle, Midway Office in Kent and Union Gap Branch Office in Yakima.