In brief: Fire suspect pleads not guilty
A man accused of burning down a Pullman apartment complex pleaded not guilty to the charges in federal court Wednesday.
Prosecutors say Bryan L. Kitchen, 31, set fire to the Grove apartments construction site on July 14. He faces charges of setting fire to property used in interstate commerce.
Kitchen told police that he was drunk and a voice in his head told him to burn down the complex, according to court documents.
The fire caused $13 million in damage and destroyed 88 units, leaving many Washington State University students scrambling to find housing.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Imbrogno ordered that Kitchen remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Kitchen’s bail hearing is Monday.
Second person found in fire ID’d
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the identity of the second person found dead in a mobile home fire early Monday morning.
Robert “Amanda” Blanchard, 41, was found dead in the mobile home she lived in with her partner, Keith M. Barber, 50, according to a news release. The home at 2311 W. 16th Ave. burned down early Monday morning. A cause of death has not been released for either victim.
Police are investigating the deaths as a murder-suicide but haven’t identified which one they suspect as the killer.
Blanchard was a transgender woman who was born a man, police said.
Medical examiners have been unable to locate Blanchard’s relatives. Anyone with information about her next of kin is asked to call the medical examiner at (509) 477-2296.
Man with gun robs CdA coffee stand
Coeur d’Alene police are looking for a man suspected of robbing a coffee stand at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon.
At about 5:30 p.m., a man pointed a gun and demanded money from a clerk working at the Lean Bean at 1820 Northwest Blvd., according to a news release.
The suspect fled on foot toward the 1000 block of Emma Avenue, the release said. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and shoes with red laces.
A police dog searched for the suspect but couldn’t find him, the release said.
Security video footage and photos of the suspect can be viewed at spokesman.com/blogs/sirens. Call the Coeur d’Alene Police Department at (208) 769-2320 with tips.