Two arrested in Coeur d’Alene after ‘conspiracy’ to rob bowling alley

Coeur d’Alene police arrested two people – including an employee – they say conspired to steal money from a local bowling alley by staging a robbery.

According to a news release from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the alleged inside job took place on Oct. 2 when police received a call about a robbery at Sunset Bowling, 202 W. Sunset Ave.

A woman, identified as Lindsey Little, 36, told police that she heard a man in the bathroom as she was closing the bowling alley. A man, identified as Brett Sears, 38, bound Little’s hands and then stole cash from the register before fleeing the scene.

Police officers in the area located Sears as he was driving away. Idaho State Police attempted to stop Sears as he eluded officers until he eventually crashed and was taken into custody.

Police said they learned in a subsequent investigation that Little and Sears were acquaintances and planned to steal the money.

After he was treated at Kootenai Health for injuries he sustained in the crash, Sears, who is from Spokane, was arrested and booked into the Kootenai County Jail on suspicion of burglary, grand theft, eluding, criminal conspiracy and habitual offender.

Little, of Spokane Valley, was also arrested and booked into the Kootenai County Jail and charged with criminal conspiracy, grand theft, compounding a felony, providing false information to law enforcement and making a false 911 call.