In brief: Two arrested in residential burgary
Officers arrested a pair of Spokane-area men early Sunday after the two were spotted breaking into a neighbor’s trailer about 11:20 p.m. Saturday night, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Officers Juan Rodriguez and several others responded to the mobile home park at 11920 E. Mansfield Ave. after a witness reported seeing two suspects removing property from a residence there. He told the officers that he had been asked to keep an eye on the home while the victim was away for the weekend.
The witness said he and his wife were awakened by a loud bang and then saw the suspects carrying electronic equipment from the home. He identified the two by first names and said one lived nearby.
The officers checked the residence and saw the front door kicked in. There was a distinctive shoe print on the door, and it was clear from dust inside the home that a television and other items had been removed.
The officers were able to contact both suspects, 23-year-old John Joseph Hammer, the nearby resident, and 23-year-old Cory James Yeager, who was wearing shoes that exactly matched the shoe print left on the kicked-in door.
Further investigation led to the discovery of nearly all the stolen property inside Hammer’s trailer. A small television is still missing.
Rodriguez arrested both suspects on felony charges of residential burglary and second-degree theft and booked both suspects into jail.
Arrest made in attempted ShopKo theft
Officers arrested a 31-year-old Spokane Valley man Sunday evening when he allegedly attempted to steal $300 worth of electronic items from the East Sprague ShopKo.
Officers Tom Walker and Jerad Kiehn were called to the store at 13414 E. Sprague Ave., by security employees who were watching Elijah J. Boxley, 12800 E. Ninth Ave., in the electronics department.
Walker waited outside the front doors while Kiehn and security officers watched the suspect use a large pair of scissors to remove iPod Nanos from their security packaging.
When Boxley walked past the checkouts and out the front doors of the store, Walker arrested him for second-degree theft, a felony.
Ballasts stolen from Hydroponic
A burglar with a green thumb broke into the Hydroponic Supply Center, 4823 E. Sprague Ave., last weekend and made off with seven Galaxy-brand electronic ballasts, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman. Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Spokane Valley Police received an alarm from the business about 2:20 a.m. and found the glass smashed out of the front door.
An employee arrived and told Officer Jeff Getchell that it appeared the suspect took only the ballasts which are used to power high-intensity lights for indoor gardening operations.
Good Fellows vandalized, burglarized
A burglar struck Good Fellows Auto Sales, 414 S. Pines Road, overnight Jan. 16 and caused hundreds of dollars worth of vandalism in addition to the loss the business incurred from stolen property, said Spokane Valley Police spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Officers Mark Benner and Jim Ebel were called to the business about 10:50 a.m. last Saturday and learned from an employee that the main office had been broken into. The thief stole more than $3,000 worth of battery chargers, cell phones, office machines, fuel cans, a chain saw and other items. Company records were also missing.
Access to the office was gained by cutting a hole through a wall where no exterior siding existed. After making entry through the small hole, the suspect tore open a door that had been taped closed for the winter.
Not satisfied with the thefts, the suspect then marred the paint on one vehicle and then flattened 15 tires on other vehicles. Damage to the vehicles was estimated at $2,000.
Anyone with information regarding this burglary is encouraged to call the Spokane Valley Police at 242-TIPS, or Crime Check at 456-2233.
Car prowler detained, arrested
A 22-year-old vehicle prowler who was chased down and held by his victim last Saturday night was later arrested by Spokane Valley Police Officer Sarah Stevens, said spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan.
Stevens and other officers were called to Office Depot, 14008 E. Sprague Ave., after employees chased and caught Andrew Ryan Sylvia who had allegedly prowled a car in the store’s parking lot.
The victim told Stevens he and other employees were leaving work about 9:30 p.m. and saw Sylvia standing next to the open driver’s door on his Toyota. They chased him across the street where the suspect suddenly stopped and surrendered.
Stevens interviewed the suspect and established that he had been inside the Toyota without permission. She arrested him for vehicle prowling and searched his backpack incident to arrest.
Inside she found stolen property tying him to vehicle prowling incidents in April, November and December of 2008, as well as a forgery and vehicle theft in December.
Recovered stolen property included five access devices, a vehicle registration, a Washington driver’s license, checks and checking account numbers, identification cards, birth certificates, a social security card and victim’s paystubs.
Stevens also found a ring containing 10 shaved vehicle keys in the suspect’s pants pocket.
She drove Sylvia to the Spokane County Jail and booked him on charges of second-degree possession of stolen property, second-degree possession of stolen credit card and possession of motor vehicle theft tools, all in addition to the original vehicle prowling charge.