In brief: Man sought in Deer Park attack
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office detectives are seeking public help to locate a man who assaulted two elderly sisters in their residence north of Deer Park.
Deputies responded to the women’s residence in the 4200 block of West Davis Road just before 9:30 p.m. Monday.
Deputies said one of the women went to the front door to call her dog in and noticed the screen door propped open. She grabbed a stool and screwdriver and went to close the door. That’s when she saw a man on the front porch, naked except for a ski mask, black jacket and shoes.
The man then entered the residence, pushed the woman down in a chair and hit her, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He fled after she pushed her medical alert panic button, causing an alarm to go off.
The suspect is described as a very light-skinned white man, 25-35 years old and weighing about 140 pounds. He may have red hair and may have been riding a bicycle.
Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest is offering a cash reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. People with information can call the tip line at (800) 222-TIPS or submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website.
Alcohol suspected in rollover crash
Five teenagers were injured early Thursday morning in a one-vehicle rollover collision that appears to have been caused by impaired driving, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said.
The driver of the vehicle lost control on West Rutter Parkway between Waikiki Road and Dorsett Road around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. Four occupants were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, and one was transported with serious injuries that were not life-threatening, the Sheriff’s Office said. A sixth person in the vehicle was not injured, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory said.
Some of the passengers in the car said they had all been at a party drinking before the accident, according to court records. One deputy said the driver, identified as 18-year-old Griffin A. Gross, “smelled like a brewery,” according to court records.
Gross reportedly admitted having two shots of vodka and said he was “in close proximity” to people smoking marijuana but hadn’t smoked any himself, according to court records.
Investigators will be conducting blood tests to determine whether Gross should be charged with vehicular assault.
With prom and graduation season coming up, the Sheriff’s Office is asking people to remind the teenagers in their lives not to drive impaired or get into a vehicle with an impaired driver.
Court rules against apartment buildings
State appellate judges on Thursday unanimously ruled against Spokane County, overturning a decision that would have allowed construction of apartment buildings on vacant land near Whitworth University.
Spokane County commissioners argued before the court that a rezoning to higher density of 22.3 acres near the intersection of Waikiki and North Five Mile roads provided the mix of residential uses mandated in the state’s Growth Management Act. Neighborhood groups argued the county’s position didn’t take into account increased traffic burden on Waikiki, the lack of public transit in the area and how the project would affect the character of the surrounding neighborhood, mostly single-family homes.
In its unanimous decision, the appellate judges sided with the neighborhood groups on most of their contentions and ordered the case back to the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board for review. The county has the option to appeal the appellate court’s decision to the state Supreme Court or make its case to the Growth Management Hearings Board.
Lawyer arrested on child porn charges
A longtime Spokane attorney has been indicted on federal child pornography charges.
Kenneth K. Watts, 66, faces two counts of receipt and possession of child pornography in an indictment handed down Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Investigators allege Watts received pornography, including images depicting a child under the age of 12, between November 2012 and May 2014 at his home and office in the 4900-block of North Nevada Street. The address listed in court documents matches Watt’s registration with the Washington Bar Association, which first licensed Watts to practice law in 1975. A call placed to his office number Thursday afternoon was not answered.
Watts signed an affidavit claiming he had no money to hire an attorney, and a judge assigned him a public defender Thursday. Watts is in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending a detention hearing, which likely will occur next week.
New charges against intimidation suspect
A man arrested in February for allegedly intimidating a witness against his brother in a bank robbery case is back in jail after he showed up in the courtroom during his brother’s trial Wednesday while the same witness was testifying.
The woman told police she received a threatening Facebook message from Tiejwon A. Alford, 31, on Dec. 30. She was listed as a witness against Alford’s brother, Tyree Wortham, who was one of four people suspected of robbing two Garland neighborhood banks in December 2013 and January 2014.
Alford was ordered held on $10,000 bond for violating his release conditions on the original intimidation of a witness charge. A warrant had been issued for his arrest after he failed to appear for his arraignment in February.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sharon Hedlund said new charges will be filed as a result of Alford showing up in court Wednesday. Police are afraid that Alford followed the witness to find out when she was testifying, Hedlund said. “We do have fairly significant concerns,” she said.
Idaho transportation discussion continues
BOISE – Despite seven hours of wrangling in a House-Senate conference committee on Thursday, Idaho lawmakers couldn’t reach an agreement on transportation funding.
The conference committee will convene again at 8 a.m. today.
“We moved a little bit today,” said House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer, R-Meridian.