Police: Wanted man escapes by cutting hole through hotel wall

After law enforcement officers spotted a wanted man outside a hotel on Sunset Hill, police say he cut a hole in his hotel room wall to escape.

On Sunday, the Spokane Police Anti-Crime Team was patrolling a “known high-crime area” on the 1500 block of South Rustle Street, according to a news release from the Spokane Police Department. The officers noticed a man, later identified as Dwayne Davis, 39, working in the backseat of an idling Dodge Charger in the parking lot of a hotel. The car’s steering column and dash were torn apart, according to the release.

When Davis noticed the patrol car, he got out of the Charger and closed both doors, according to police. When officers asked him what he was doing, Davis said he was installing a camera, then walked into the hotel leaving the car running.

Police spotted Davis’ Volkswagen symbol tattoo on his right hand, which led them to identify him and discover his two active felony warrants.

Officers waited for Davis to come back outside to turn off the car, but instead a woman came out and turned it off before returning to room 205, according to SPD.

Police announce themselves and knocked on the hotel room door, according to the statement. No one responded, and police said they heard banging and sawing sounds coming from inside the room.

Not long after, Davis was spotted running from the room on the opposite side of the hotel. Police said a search of his room revealed a large hole in the bathroom wall above the toilet leading to an adjoining hotel room and a large butcher-style knife was found.

Police ran after him , eventually using a K-9 to track his movements, according to a police statement.

Davis was arrested without incident and booked into Spokane County Jail on suspicion of malicious mischief, obstructing and resisting arrest.