Spokane police arrest man in fatal shooting of teen

Spokane police on Thursday arrested a man they say killed a teen last week at a store on North Monroe Street.

Officers arrested the man without incident at a home near Ella Road and Euclid Avenue in Spokane Valley.

They declined to release his name, but jail records indicated the man is Jeremiah A. Smith, 25. He faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm.

“We do believe that the person we arrested is the main suspect,” Spokane police Cpl. Jordan Ferguson said.

Ceasar Medina, 17, died after he was shot in his neck and chest May 26 at Northwest Accessories, a tattoo shop at 3400 N. Monroe St.

Witnesses told police that Medina was shot during a robbery attempt.

Nina Culver

Two arrests made in stolen puppy case

A Spokane man found with a stolen puppy was arrested Wednesday evening after he allegedly pointed a loaded gun at the puppy’s owner, according to police reports.

Joseph Piapot, 35, is being held in the Spokane County Jail and faces two counts of first-degree assault and one count of illegally owning a firearm.

A woman who was with Piapot, Tralana Chambers, also was arrested on drug charges after police found her with a pipe and a bag of methamphetamine, according to court documents.

The 7-week-old puppy, Cutter, is back with his owner after disappearing Monday from a fenced yard. Court records say a friend of the owner spotted the puppy Wednesday with Piapot and Chambers in an alley near West Mallon Avenue.

Later, Piapot confronted the dog’s owner when the owner tried to retrieve the puppy, court records say. Police said Piapot pulled a gun on the owner and a friend of the owner’s before running away.

The victims flagged down a police lieutenant, and officers soon arrested Chambers and Piapot. Piapot has eight previous felony convictions, according to court records.

Chad Sokol

Man driving on U.S. 395 dies from medical issue

A Colville man suffering a medical issue died Thursday on U.S. Highway 395 about 4 miles north of Loon Lake.

Joseph W. Ullman, 66, was driving north just before 1 p.m. when he had a medical issue and tried to pull over, according to the Washington State Patrol. Ullman’s pickup came to a stop on the highway. A MedStar helicopter was dispatched, but Ullman was declared dead at the scene.

Staff report