Liberty Lake Police field range of strange calls

There was a little bit of the strange and unusual in the calls to the Liberty Lake Police Department the week of Oct. 1-8.

A resident in the 23000 block of East Sinto Avenue called police at 9:15 p.m. on Oct. 4 to report that he was being harassed by 40 unknown people who had been following him, Police Chief Brian Asmus said. He told police they were two blocks away, watching him. Officers responded to the area. “But they weren’t there,” Asmus said.

A man in the 600 block of North Homestead Drive called police Sunday morning to report that his car had been stolen sometime overnight. The problem was, police had found his car abandoned the night before after it apparently crashed at Country Vista Drive and Molter Road. After being questioned the man confessed that he was the one who crashed the car, Asmus said.

The man may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash, Asmus said. “We definitely believe he was,” he said. Since the man admitted his story was false he wasn’t charged with filing a false police report, he said.

A person called police Friday to report seeing a man taking pictures of houses and children waiting at a bus stop that morning in the area of 24000 block of East Maxwell Avenue. He was described as a black male with blond dreadlocks who was about 6 feet tall and weighed about 300 pounds, Asmus said. “Our officers have been out there,” he said. “Haven’t seen him since.”

Police responded to a domestic violence call on North Legacy Ridge Drive at 12:10 p.m. Friday. Police were called when someone heard a man say over the phone that he was “finishing this now” and a physical struggle could be heard, said Asmus. “I was working that day,” Asmus said. “I was the first one there.”

Raymond C. Marks, 41, was arrested on a felony charge of second-degree domestic violence assault. Asmus said Marks is suspected of causing several injuries to the woman involved. “He actually beat her up pretty bad,” he said. “She’s alleging he tried to gouge her left eye out with his thumb. She had injuries consistent with her story.”

Asmus said Marks also allegedly tried to light the woman on fire. “Her clothes were burned,” he said. Officers have responded to the same address numerous times for domestic violence incidents, Asmus said.

During the week officers made one arrest for driving under the influence and three for driving with a suspended license. They handed out three citations for license and plates required, three for failure to show proof of liability insurance and five for speeding. Additional citations were given for failure to sign/carry vehicle registration, defective tail light/brake light, making a prohibited turn, second-degree negligent driving, use of a cellphone and failure to wear a safety belt.