Thief flees Liberty Lake store with hammer

A few unusual thefts were reported in Liberty Lake the week of April 20-27, including a hammer.

A store employee in the 21000 block of East Country Vista Drive reportedly gave chase briefly when a man walked out with a hammer priced at $40.07 on April 20. An officer responded but was unable to find the thief, Police Chief Brian Asmus said.

On the same day, officers arrested two men suspected of stealing a metal rail from Pavillion Park. The missing rail was found at the home of one of the suspects, Asmus said. Both are facing a charge of third-degree theft.

A man attempted to leave a store in the 1300 block of Liberty Lake Road with a cart full of items worth $381. He ended up running out of the store without the cart and jumped into a silver Ford Taurus with a covered license plate. The theft is under investigation.

Other calls from April 20 to Monday:

April 22: A found license plate was turned into police.

April 24: A car exiting a business in the area of Liberty Lake Road and Appleway Boulevard nearly hit a police car. The car was stopped and the 17-year-old juvenile passenger was cited for being a minor in possession of marijuana.

A man was arrested for theft in the 1200 block of Liberty Lake Road after trying to leave a business with a bag of items. An employee had called 911 after recognizing the man as someone who had stolen alcohol from the store the day before.

Arrests: Police made two arrests for driving under the influence, one for driving with a suspended license and two for warrants.

Citations: Officers issued three citations for speeding. Additional citations were given for failure to show proof of liability insurance, failure to yield right of way and second-degree negligent driving.