In brief: Gerlach court date delayed

A hearing to determine if statements made by Gail Gerlach to police after he shot and killed a car thief speeding away from his home in March can be introduced at trial has been delayed to late October, according to Gerlach’s defense attorneys.

Attorney Richard Lee signed subpoenas earlier this week requesting witnesses to appear for the hearing at a scheduled court date Oct. 3. But presiding Superior Court Judge Annette Plese’s busy docket pushed that hearing back to Oct. 25, Lee said in an email Friday.

Gerlach, 57, faces a charge of first-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Brendon T. Kaluza-Graham, 25. Gerlach’s trial is scheduled to begin in December.

Kip Hill

Child luring incident reported

A suspected child luring incident was reported in Liberty Lake on Wednesday night, making it the fifth in Spokane County in a week.

A 6-year-old boy and 3-year-old boy told police that they were approached by a man in a white van as they were playing in their neighbor’s front yard in the 24000 block of East Desmet Road just before 7 p.m., Sgt. Clint Gibson said. The man is described as white and in his 40s with a skinny build, short hair and black beard. The white van was an older model with tinted windows without any markings. It may have been missing its front license plate.

The case may be related to the other incidents reported in Spokane describing a similar man and vehicle, Gibson said.

A 17-year-old girl told police she was approached in the same area by a man driving a white van around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The man offered her a ride home, which she declined.

Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233.

Nina Culver

Jump possible at Knievel site

BOISE – A Texas motorcycle stuntman has won the right to try to recreate Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon jump on the 40th anniversary of the failed effort.

Big Ed Beckley and Beckley Media LLC of Bridgeport, Texas, bid $943,000 for a two-year lease on the state land near Twin Falls where the jump took place in September 1974, the Times-News reported.

Beckley also must pay $25,000 a year to the Idaho Department of Lands, and obtain permits from the city of Twin Falls.

Associated Press