Burglar of South Hill home arrested after returning to crime scene

A man who robbed a South Hill home was arrested in a car stolen from the residence after neighbors reported he returned to the scene and crashed the car into a garage, according to a release from the Spokane Police Department.

Police responded to the robbery in the 1200 block of South Wall Street around 3:20 p.m. Sunday, the release said. Several items, including a car, had been stolen from the house.

A short time later, a caller reported a vehicle matching the stolen car’s description to police in the area of West 12th Avenue and South Wall Street, about one block from the scene of the burglary, the release said. The caller reported the car had been spray-painted with graffiti.

A police corporal located the vehicle quickly and found a man sitting in the driver’s seat, who attempted to flee when he saw the officer approaching, the release said. The suspect, identified as Joshua M. Holford, 19, was detained.

All stolen items from the house were located in the vehicle and returned to the victims, minus some cash, according to the release. 

The car had extensive damage to the front end when it was recovered. A neighbor reported Holford had returned to the Wall Street residence earlier in the day, crashing the car into the neighbor’s garage when he attempted to flee. 

Holford was booked into Spokane County Jail under charges of second-degree burglary and theft of a motor vehicle, among several other charges stemming from the robbery, the release said. Bail has not yet been set for Holford.