Arizona homicide suspect arrested in Spokane

A homicide suspect from Tucson, Ariz., was arrested in Spokane on Saturday after a school resource deputy and his Explorer partner spotted him sleeping inside a stolen pickup. Jonathan G. Baumbach, 26, was charged with first-degree murder after police arrested him and Jorge Alberto Osorio, 21, also of Tucson, for possession of a stolen vehicle near Appleway and Spokane Bridge Road. Deputy Chris Young and Explorer Jerrin Neal noticed the pickup with no front license plate about 1:40 a.m. and called for backup after receiving notification from Arizona that it was linked to a homicide. Police seized the truck for examination and booked Baumbach and Osorio into the Spokane County Jail. Tucson police had issued a bulletin for the beige 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup truck they believe to be connected to the homicide of Robert Pardee. The 61-year-old Pardee was found dead in his home June 20 after his daughter asked police to check on him, according to the Tucson Police Department. Spokane County major crimes Detective Mike Drapeau developed informantion linking Baumbach to the homicide during an interview today, Sgt. Dave Reagan said in a news release. “After conferring with detectives there, an arrest warrant was faxed to Spokane and Drapeau had a Fugitive From Justice charge added to Baumbach’s stolen vehicle count,” Reagan wrote. “He also released Osorio from custody.” Young works at Mount Spokane High School during the school year and sheriff’s patrol during the summer.