In brief: Craigslist robberies suspect arrested
Spokane police arrested a 17-year-old for a series of Craigslist robberies.
During the past four months, Spokane police responded to five reports of Craigslist robberies, according to a news release. Unsuspecting sellers of Apple products were contacted by a buyer who asked to meet the seller at a park to buy the product. When the seller arrived, the buyer robbed them, sometimes at gunpoint.
Spokane police’s Targeted Crimes Unit and SWAT members executed two search warrants Friday morning, one on the 2400 block of East Desmet Avenue and the other on the 900 block of East Parkhill Drive to locate evidence related to the crime.
Police arrested a 17-year-old male, who faces three charges of first-degree robbery. Police are still searching for Curtis Cyrus, 20, who is also a suspect in the robberies.
Phone scheme seeks GU athletics ads
A phone scheme preying on local support for Gonzaga University is at work in Spokane, the BBB reported Friday.
A caller claiming to be with “Spirit Publications” is soliciting advertising buys in a bogus athletic schedule that is not tied to the college.
A similar scheme unfolded recently surrounding Boise State athletics where people lost money buying what they thought were ads for the school’s game schedule.
The BBB urges people to be cautious about such calls.
No state budget yet, but confidence in air
OLYMPIA – Legislative negotiators remained locked in negotiations over the state’s 2013-15 budget Friday with prospects that a final agreement could be reached this weekend.
Legislators and Gov. Jay Inslee seemed confident Friday that a government shutdown wouldn’t be necessary July 1.
Inslee said he was “very hopeful” the Legislature would also pass a multiyear plan to build new road projects and maintain existing roads and bridges through increased gasoline taxes and vehicle fees. Legislators have said the state’s two-year, $32.5 billion operating budget is the main concern as they pass the 10th day of their second special session.
Truck gets stuck under rail overpass
A truck driver found himself in a sticky situation Friday evening when he drove under a railroad track too low for his trailer.
Southbound traffic on Stevens Street near Second Avenue was reduced to two lanes of traffic when Ted Garcia drove his semitruck under the tracks at rush hour. The trailer was about 2 feet too tall to fit under the bridge.
Garcia, who was on his way from Kettle Falls, Wash., to Arizona, thought his GPS was directing him in the right direction. Thinking he was taking the same route as he did traveling to Kettle Falls, Garcia was distracted by the freeway on-ramp ahead and not on the bridge when he struck the tracks.
“Sometimes (GPS’s) are good for the cars, but for trucks they’re still not accurate,” Garcia said as a work crew unloaded wood from the trailer to lighten the load. Passers-by grabbed photos of the truck, which was crunched underneath the bridge.
No one was injured..
Geno’s fire arson, officials determine
An arsonist is to blame for a three-alarm fire that damaged Geno’s restaurant and a nearby low-income apartment complex last weekend.
The Spokane Fire Department determined that a fire at 907 E. Sinto Ave. was intentionally set. A suspect has been identified, but no arrests have been made.
The fire displaced at least 14 residents at the Sinto Apartments, which are run by SNAP, and damaged the kitchen of Geno’s. The fire did about $100,000 damage.
No one was injured.
Suspects arrested in bank robbery try
Spokane police arrested two suspects in connection with an attempted bank robbery last weekend.
Tyler S. Diamond, 20, and Rosselder J. Badger, 38, attempted to rob the Chase Bank on 5508 N. Division St. on June 15, police alleged in a press release.
Badger is suspected of entering the building and telling the worker he had a gun. The worker hit the alarm, and Badger fled to where Diamond was waiting outside in a Cadillac.
No one was injured and nothing was taken.
Police identified the Cadillac from bank surveillance video Thursday at about 1 p.m. and pursued the vehicle, but the driver sped off, according to the release. At about 5:30 p.m., police found Diamond and Badger with the car near the intersection of Longfellow Avenue and Wall Street.
Agency: Pesticide killed bumble bees
WILSONVILLE, Ore. – Oregon officials say a pesticide is to blame for the deaths of an estimated 25,000 bumble bees in a shopping center parking lot.
The state Department of Agriculture said Friday that tests on bees and foliage showed the deaths are “directly related to a pesticide application on linden trees” that was meant to control aphids.
An investigation is underway to see if the application of Safari violated the law.