Police arrest suspected armed burglar of Christmas presents in north Spokane

Police arrested a man who claimed to be armed and refused to leave a north Spokane apartment Friday evening for about two hours, after residents reportedly came home and found him inside, attempting to steal Christmas presents.

Spokane police received a call from Samantha Walker and Patrick Bower, residents of an apartment on the 100 block of West Gray Court who said they came home to find two burglars in their first-floor apartment just after 6:30 p.m.

Walker and Bower had just returned from grocery shopping with their 2-year-old son when they heard their son’s bedroom door shut.

The man inside the room told them he had a gun, they told The Spokesman-Review. A second man jumped out a window with a bag of what they believed to be their belongings.

After calling police, the family remained in the living room while they waited for the police. They claimed they had a can of bear spray to defend themselves, but they didn’t, they said.

SWAT was activated almost immediately.

Residents did not recognize the suspect.

The suspect was arrested just before 8:30 p.m. No injuries were reported.