In brief: Two men arrested in pharmacy holdup
Spokane County sheriff’s deputies arrested two men suspected of robbing a Spokane Valley pharmacy at gunpoint Thursday night.
Deputies responded to the robbery call at Shopko, at 13414 E. Sprague Ave., around 9 p.m. Witnesses said the robber fled in a gold Honda Accord.
Deputy Mark Holthaus was headed east on Valleyway Avenue and saw a Honda matching that description heading west. The car was stopped at Broadway Avenue and Pines Road. The driver stayed in the car but another man ran from the car, a news release from the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies chased the man, later identified as Steven Perry, 28, and caught him after a short pursuit. While chasing Perry, deputies said they saw him throw something toward the bushes. When the deputies searched the area, they found a handgun they believe was used in the robbery.
Perry was booked into jail on suspicion of armed robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm and obstructing. His bond was set at $50,000 during a brief court appearance Friday. The other man, William Higgins, 25, was booked on suspicion of armed robbery and driving with a suspended license. His bond was set at $25,000.
Traffic stop yields 110 pounds of pot
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office seized more than 110 pounds of marijuana this week from a man who reportedly told deputies he was driving from Portland to North Dakota on a “business trip.”
Deputies arrested Mark R. Hamman, 56, on Interstate 90 near Cataldo on Wednesday, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release. He was pulled over for making an improper lane change, and the deputy noticed the strong smell of marijuana. Deputies also seized more than $6,000 cash.
Hamman was charged with felony trafficking in marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $25,000 and he has since bonded out of jail, the release said.
Housing voucher list used in scam
Spokane Housing Authority is warning of a scam targeting people who have put their names on a lottery waiting list for Section 8 housing vouchers.
“These phone calls claim that the person has been placed on the waiting list and then request credit card information for a small charge to ensure their successful application process,” the housing authority said in a news release.
There is no charge to put a name on the lottery waiting list, the agency said.
Applications for the waiting list close Monday at 3 p.m. The list is used to distribute Section 8 housing vouchers, which can be used at any rental property meeting federal standards.
For more information, visit spokanehousing.org.
Police chief picks nominee from within
Spokane police Chief Frank Straub’s top candidate to be assistant police chief is an internal candidate.
City Councilman Jon Snyder, the chairman of the city’s public safety committee, said Friday that Straub’s choice is Capt. Rick Dobrow.
Dobrow started work as a police officer in Stockton, Calif., in 1982, according to a department newsletter. He joined the Spokane force in 1994. Dobrow was given the department’s purple heart award after a serious motorcycle crash in September 2006.
Assistant police Chief Craig Meidl informed Straub last week that he was stepping down and wanted to return to being a lieutenant.
Steven Powell home auction put on hold
TACOMA – An auction of Steven Powell’s home in Washington state has been put on hold, authorities said.
A judge had cleared the way for the auction this week to help pay a judgment Powell owes to two girls that he secretly photographed. The Friday auction was canceled and may be rescheduled for the future, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. He did not immediately provide a reason for the delay.
Powell is the father-in-law of Utah mother Susan Cox-Powell, who disappeared four years ago. Investigators found nude images of the neighbor girls while searching Powell’s home for information about the missing mother.
His son, Josh Powell, was a suspect before killing himself and his two children in February of last year.