Man arrested after multiple hit-and-runs, robbery in reported stolen vehicle

Police arrested a 24-year-old man who they say was involved in multiple hit-and-run collisions in a stolen vehicle Tuesday morning.

A vehicle owner reported just before 8 a.m. their car had been stolen by a family member, according to a news release from the Spokane Police Department.

Officers located the vehicle just a half-hour later and attempted to stop it.

The driver, Mohammed Jalhoom, 24, tried to flee after officers turned on their lights, according to police.

Due to icy roads, he crashed about 10 seconds later, police said. The man then fled on foot but was quickly arrested.

After his arrest, officers pieced together what they say was Jalhoom’s early morning crime spree. He was involved in two hit-and-run crashes, one with an STA bus, police said.

He then went into a nearby store and stole numerous items, police said. When employees tried to stop him, he struck them before fleeing in the stolen vehicle, witnesses told police.

Jalhoom had multiple outstanding warrants including a community custody violation from the Department of Corrections stemming from a 2018 rape conviction.

He was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, eluding, three counts of hit-and-run, and robbery.

At about the same time, Spokane police were investigating a separate stolen vehicle case.

Officers passed a truck completely covered in snow and ice just after 8 a.m.

The driver could barely navigate due to limited visibility, according to the news release. By the time the officers reached the truck, the driver had parked and was walking away.

Officers identified the truck as one stolen from a business months ago.

The driver that morning had already been suspected of stealing the truck from his former employer, according to police.

Nathaniel Brant, 47, was arrested on suspicion of taking a motor vehicle without permission. He also had three outstanding warrants including one for theft on a pending case from 2021.