In brief: Alleged Roscoe Bandit arrested in Oregon
A man who police say is the robber pegged as the Roscoe Bandit by the FBI was arrested Wednesday in Grants Pass, Oregon, and the FBI is crediting Spokane police with developing key information that led to his arrest.
The robber was given the moniker Roscoe Bandit because of the long-barreled revolver he often used in his heists. The suspect arrested Wednesday has been identified as William Mitchell, 55.
Mitchell is suspected of robbing the Numerica Credit Union in downtown Spokane on Friday. He also is a suspect in three bank robberies in Western Washington. The Spokane Police Department identified a suspicious vehicle in surveillance video, according to an FBI news release.
A man facing assault and robbery charges after hitting his ex-boyfriend, who was later found dead, is now under investigation for his suspected involvement in several grocery store robberies.
Edward E. Weed was found dead in his north side home Nov. 6.
Michael E. Harmon, 32, told police that he struck Weed several times eight days before Weed was found dead, court documents say.
When detectives interviewed Harmon about the circumstances surrounding Weed’s death, they noticed Harmon was wearing items similar to those worn by someone who robbed Sunset Grocery, 1908 W. Sunset Blvd., according to court documents. At the time Harmon was arrested on charges of assaulting Weed he was wearing red shoes similar to those worn by a man who robbed the grocery July 10 and a silver crucifix necklace similar to what a robber wore at the grocery Sept. 21, court documents say.
ISP seeks charges against two drivers
The Idaho State Police is taking the unusual step of requesting criminal charges against both drivers involved in a Nov. 6 road-rage incident on Interstate 90 near Post Falls.
Spokane Valley resident Jeremy A. Leppert, 27, was westbound in his 2002 Dodge Stratus when he encountered Post Falls resident Benjiman S. Nelson, 34, driving a 2010 Chrysler 300. According to the ISP, the incident began when one vehicle began tailgating the other.
The drivers became agitated and one vehicle rammed the other, the ISP said. The two vehicles then sideswiped each other repeatedly as they drove down the busy freeway. Investigators declined to release specifics on which driver rammed the other first.
The ISP is asking the prosecutor’s office to file charges of felony aggravated assault against Leppert and Nelson.
Medical services levy falls short
The Airway Heights Fire Department’s proposed levy to fund emergency medical services has been rejected by voters.
The levy was the last too-close-to-call item from the Nov. 4 Spokane County election.
Support dropped in Wednesday’s count to 57.4 percent. The measure needed 60 percent to pass. About 60 ballots are left to count, but nearly every one of those would have to support the levy to reach the needed threshold.
The six-year levy would have cost property owners 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.