The Spokane Valley Region – Not Just The City of Spokane Valley

WANTED | Edward Thomas; Christopher Route; Marc Carter

 Spokane Police Major Crimes Unit with assistance from the Spokane Violent Crimes Gang Enforcement Team, have obtained arrest warrants for several individuals for their role in the January 17, 2010 homicide of John S. Williams. Williams was shot to death outside an apartment at 5405 N. Crestline.

A subsequent investigation revealed there had been a birthday party at Casey’s restaurant for Ronald Schuler, earlier in the evening on January 17. There was an after hours party at Schuler’s Crestline apartment. At one point during the after hours party, a physical altercation broke out between two rival gangs. Williams was assaulted by Edward L. Thomas, Eric Burton, Christopher J. Route,  and Marc A. Carter. Schuler ordered the combatants to leave.

Members of one gang were leaving when they were approached by John Williams and another man. Williams confronted the two, and Edward Thomas began firing at Williams and the other man, with a Ruger mini 30 rifle. Williams fell to the ground and Thomas shot him again at close range. The murder weapon was thrown into the backseat of a vehicle. Thomas jumped into a different car driven by Cedric Burton and fled the area.

Edward Thomas has a warrant for 1st degree Murder and Attempted 1st degree Murder (of the man with Williams at the time of the shooting).

Cedric E. Burton  and James C. Henderson have been booked into the Spokane County Jail for Conspiracy to commit 2nd degree Assault. A warrant has been issued for Marc A. Carter for Conspiracy to commit 2nd degree Assault. Investigators believe these three individuals conspired to assault an unnamed victim in a rival gang. John Williams was killed as a result of this conspiracy. Under the Washington State Felony Murder rule, if a violent felony is committed during the commission of a murder, the crime becomes 2nd degree Murder. (2nd degree Murder charges are pending.)

John E. Burton and Christopher J. Route  have arrest warrants for 1st degree Rendering Criminal Assistance. John Burton and Christopher Route misled investigators and destroyed potential physical evidence during the course of the investigation. Eric Burton was arrested by members of SVCGET and SPD Patrol officers. Burton misled investigators and attempted to remove the murder weapon prior to the arrival of the police.

Cedric Burton was recently transported back to Spokane from Los Angeles, for a probation violation from the January 1, 2005 murder at 21 E. Lincoln (Crazy 8's).

Several other individuals were arrested on peripheral charges related to the January 17th incident. Ronald Schuler, the Crestline apartment tenant, was arrested during the execution of a search warrant for Possession with the Intent to Deliver Cocaine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Justin A. Battle was arrested for Trafficking in Stolen Property and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Elexander R. Burgess was arrested for Possession of Stolen Property (a firearm) and Witness Tampering.

Antonio E. Cook was arrested for Trafficking in Stolen Property and a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

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 A 46-year-old Spokane man died Friday morning after he fired a gun at police officers who were responding to a threat call on the city’s South Hill.

The name of the suspect is being withheld until release by the Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office.  His autopsy was scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Spokane police were dispatched to a home in the 4100 block of East Thirty-Sixth about 6 a.m. when a neighbor of the complainant called him and warned him that the suspect had driven up and was outside his house.

The complainant and suspect reportedly have been in an ongoing dispute over some firearms and the suspect had previously made threats against the complainant.

The complainant told 911 that he believed the suspect was armed.  He also stated that he had guns in his home and had armed himself.  Because of the elevating nature of the call, sheriff’s deputies began responding to assist.

As officers arrived at the scene and approached the house, the suspect began firing at one of them.  That officer retreated and returned fire.  The suspect was struck and collapsed in the yard of the complainant’s home.

The suspect was restrained and then treated by paramedics, but was pronounced dead at a downtown hospital shortly afterward.

Because the shooting was officer-involved, the Critical Incident Protocol was invoked and the sheriff’s office became the lead agency in the investigation.  However, both SPD and Washington State Patrol detectives were assisting in the investigation.

A canvas of the neighborhood revealed no one but the suspect was struck during the exchange of gunfire.  Thirty-Sixth was blocked off with crime scene tape and closed for several hours while detectives processed the scene and collected evidence.

{ 19250 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1925SPD%3A+Officer+Involved+Shooting%2C+Suspect+Killed2010-03-26+19%3A19%3A15Rick+Penn }

Crime Check operators have received numerous complaints recently about suspicious men going door-to-door and either representing themselves as Avista Utilities employees or behaving in a manner contrary to what you might expect from a bona fide sales representative.

Residents in the Spokane Valley have reported men coming to their doors and asking to come inside to check the home’s insulation.  The men carry no identification and have implied in some cases that they are Avista Utilities employees.  Their demeanor has prompted some to call police. 

Avista says they have no one going door-to-door.

In fact, the men are salesmen for Rocky Mountain Insulation of Pocatello, Idaho.  The insulation services they sell “may” qualify homeowners for an Avista or federal tax rebate.

Law enforcement professionals encourage all residents to know who they are allowing inside their homes.  Asking for company identification is a good start. Prior to allowing any sales person inside your home, conceal purses, wallets, checkbooks and other easy-to-steal items of value. 

Better yet… If you didn't initiate a call for insulation services or any other type of sales call, dont let anyone in your house. 

{ 19220 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1922Insulation+Salesmen+Giving+Chills+to+Spokane+Valley+Residents2010-03-15+21%3A41%3A05Rick+Penn }

Detectives assigned to the sheriff’s Investigative Task Force raided a Spokane home early Thursday and seized 105 marijuana plants and several hundred dollars in cash.

A spokesman said two men at the home have been “hiding behind the medical marijuana law” to grow the drug in Spokane and sell it in the Everett, Washington area.

He said the operation has been underway the past two years, and was only discovered March 1^st when the odor of marijuana was detected drifting from the home at 1527 E. Rockwell.

Law enforcement arrested 28-year-old Robert Thompson and 31-year-old Eric Franklin, and had four forged medical marijuana provider forms posted at the grow site.  The law allows persons with a medical marijuana form to grow no more than 15 plants.

The hydroponic growing operation was found in the basement of the home.  Both  men were booked into the Spokane County Jail on felony counts of manufacturing a Controlled Substance – Marijuana.

{ 19193 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1919GROW+DOCTORS+%7C+Duo+Arrested+for+Dope+Grow2010-03-11+19%3A26%3A23Rick+Penn }

An 89-year-old Spokane Valley woman was nearly bilked out of $2,500 Wednesday by a con man who told her he was checking employees at a Spokane financial institution to “see if they were handling her account correctly.”

The woman told a crime check operator that the suspect called her and asked what her balance was.  She gave a number and the suspect requested she write a check for $2,500 and deliver it to a man waiting at a nearby grocery store.

The man’s name was “Meyers,” and she was to hand him the check.  The intended-victim said she was preparing to leave with the check when it occurred to her to call the bank.  Employees there quickly prevented the attempted fraud. The woman told Crime Check that the suspect had told her that they had cameras on her house and that she was not to tell anyone about the “investigation.”

Children of elderly parents should talk to them about potential fraud suspects who may try to bilk them out of their savings or property.  Persons in their 70’s and older grew up in an age where people were more trusting in others, and the elderly frequently fall prey to this type of con.

Thieves pay particular attention to published obituaries seeking elderly widows or widowers that they can target for scams.  For this motive, children of elderly parents should urge them to discuss any requests for money or checks from anyone they do not personally know.

{ 19140 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1914SCAM+ALERT+%7C+Con+Job+Targeting+the+Elderly2010-03-05+21%3A26%3A48Rick+Penn }

 An off-duty Spokane police officer recognized a black Nissan Pathfinder that pulled out in front of him as being stolen after he had taken the report earlier in the day while on duty.  Officer Glenn Bartlett contacted police dispatch and continued to follow the vehicle to the Shadle Wal-Mart parking lot.   .

Officers arrvied and placed the driver, Christal N. Helsley, 36, under arrest for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

Since February 25th, there has been an increase in stolen vehicle activity in the area of 12th Ave and South Ivory St.  Several vehicles have been stolen from and recovered in a six mile radius of that location, including the Nissan Pathfinder recovered by Officer Bartlett.

Over his last five day work week, which ended yesterday, Officer Bartlett has recovered nine stolen vehicles.  Bartlett’s patrol car is equipped with two cameras and an automatic license-plate recognition system allowing him to scan vehicle license plates and compare it against a nationwide database of stolen vehicles, allowing him to recover stolen cars faster.

While this does give Spokane Police Department another tool to assist them with stolen vehicles, citizens can still take precautions when leaving their vehicles unattended to avoid having their vehicle become a target.

• Secure Your Vehicle – park in a locked garage or well lit area, lock your doors, don’t leave the engine running unattended.
• Sterilize Your Vehicle – avoid leaving anything of value in plain sight inside the vehicle.
• Anti-Theft Devices – clubs, alarm systems

{ 19100 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1910Off+Duty+Officer+Nets+Ninth+Recovered+Stolen+Vehicle+in+Six+Days2010-03-04+00%3A16%3A29Rick+Penn }

A three-year-old narrowly escaped injury Saturday night when a suspect angry about a noise complaint fired a shot through the wall of an East Sprague apartment complex.

Officers were called to the apartment at 15917 E. Sprague about 10:25 p.m. by a man who reported the suspect shooting at his apartment from the parking lot below.

When Spokane Valley police arrived, they saw a group of people standing on the upper landing and two bullet casings on the ground below.

The complainant told police that he and a friend had been playing cards in another part of the complex and were walking back to his apartment when they were confronted by a pair of males demanding to know why he had called police about noise coming from an apartment next door.

One of the suspects, a man later identified only as “Joe,” said he could “go crazy” at any moment.  He was holding his hand under his sweatshirt near the waistband of his pants.  When he began to lift the object out from under his shirt, the complainant thought it might be a gun and retreated into his apartment.

He told officers he heard a pistol slide being worked as he closed the door.  Moments later, shots were fired into the apartment wall.  One of the bullets went into a bedroom where the complainant’s three-year-old was sleeping. 

The bullet passed through the exterior wall about three feet off the floor, struck a metal bed post on the child’s bed and fell to the blankets.  The child’s mother moved the blanket to check the child and the bullet fell to the floor.

The two suspects were gone when officers arrived.  The complainant’s female neighbor told officers she had only recently met Joe and did not know his last name.  She did admit telling him that the complainant had made noise complaints about her to police.

 Joe was described as a white male who was 25 to 29 years old, six feet tall and thin.  He was clean shaven and possibly left-handed as that was the hand he used to fire a shot into the air.

The suspect wore a white baseball cap with a dark logo, a white zippered and hooded sweatshirt with a black logo, and dark-colored pants.  He had tattoos on his neck, possibly on the left side, of a spiders’ web with cursive writing.

The shooter’s companion was a white male in his 20’s who was about 5’10” tall and had a thin build.  He had a dark complexion with short brown hair and a mustache.  He wore a colored, zippered hoodie and dark jeans.

Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

{ 19050 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1905SPOKANE+VALLEY+%7C+Bullet+Narrowly+Misses+Toddler2010-03-01+22%3A39%3A38Rick+Penn }

Indubitably the ole girl of "The Spovangelist" has taken issue with me.  Really, Mariah Rose McKay ? You want to go there?  

I accused her of stuffing her "blog" with all this Kumbaya liberal foolishness and she controverted by posting a detestable piece on her site labeling me of all things, a RACIST…

Frankly, I shouldn’t be astonished by Spovangelist's rejoinder since after all, it is a common "flight mechanism" for all liberals to avoid debate at all costs by name calling. Liberals LOVE to call names while conservatives are trying to make arguments ESPECIALLY arguments liberals have no advantage in winning.

{ 18975 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1897OH+NO+YOU+DI%27INT+MARIAH2010-03-01+04%3A27%3A13Rick+Penn }

Crime Stoppers has offered a cash reward for information that leads to the solution of a case involving dog poisonings on Spokane’s South Hill.

On February 19^th, three dogs were poisoned at two different locations.  A woman who let her dogs out at 6 a.m. in the area of Regal and Palouse Highway saw one of them eating something and called it away.  Within an hour, the dog began convulsing and it later died at a veterinary clinic.

The same day, a pet owner discovered her two dogs dead in the area of 55^th Avenue and Freya. 

Investigators believe the dogs ate meatballs tossed into the yard.  Lab analysis revealed that they were heavily laced with strychnine, a substance commonly found in gopher bait.

The meatballs were cooked after the poison was added giving them a green-ish tint.  Dog owners are being encouraged to check their yards before allowing their pets outside.

The Humane Society of the United States has offered a reward for information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the poisonings. 

{ 18940 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1894CRIMESTOPPERS+%3B+U.S.+HUMANE+SOCIETY+OFFER+REWARD2010-02-26+18%3A49%3A39Rick+Penn }

32nd Annual Home and Yard Show

LOCATION: Spokane County Fair and Expo Center

DATES:

Friday:         Noon – 9:00 p.m.

Saturday:    10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Sunday :     10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

ADMISSION:

Adults: $6.00 – Good all weekend !

Children under 12: Admitted Free

{ 18900 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1890HOME+AND+YARD+SHOW+2010+2010-02-26+16%3A43%3A41Rick+Penn }

On Monday February 22nd, Spokane Police responded to the Safeway at 933 E. Mission just after 5:30 after they had received a report of a robbery from inside the Banner Bank.  The suspect had approached a teller, presented a note, indicated he had a gun and demanded money.  That teller could not provide any money. Determined to score, the robber approached a second teller with the same demands and was given an undisclosed amount of money.

Police released the robber's description as well as a surveillance photo to the community via the media.  Major Crimes Detectives assigned to the case began receiving tips the next morning.  Detectives ended up arresting Douglas E. Labish for 1st degree Robbery and Attempted 1st degree Robbery.

Yesterday afternoon, just before 4pm, patrol officers responded to a suspicious persons call at 3919 N. Market.  Employees of the Banner Bank inside the North Market Safeway were aware of Monday's robbery suspect description.  They observed the male pacing back and forth in front of the store, and he matched the robbery suspect description.

{ 18870 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1887BANNER+BANK+ROBBER+ARRESTED2010-02-26+16%3A22%3A11Rick+Penn }

Two old scams are circulating the Spokane area again, and law enforcement investigators want to remind residents that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

In the first instance, an east Spokane County man was contacted by a caller who advised him he had won two million dollars.  All the resident had to do to collect his winnings was to wire $300 to the caller to cover shipping and handling (of two million dollars?)

The resident received a second call telling him to send the $300 to a Montego Bay, Jamaica address.  The resident wisely declined.

If you receive a call about winning a lottery (typically, it’s the Canadian Lottery), ask yourself if you even entered a lottery.  Then hang up the phone and save yourself the shipping and handling fee.

In the second scam to hit this week, a man called an elderly woman and portrayed himself to be her grandson.  He said he had been arrested (in Canada again) for DUI and an accident, and now needed her to wire him $2,400 for a lawyer who would make it all go away.

The intended victim is hard of hearing and couldn’t determine if the man was really her grandson or not.  However, the suspect knew a fair amount of detail about the grandson, so she believed it was he.

Still, she ran it by her son when he returned to the home.  The son received a call from a second man telling him that he was the lawyer and that the money had to be wired immediately. 

The son left for the bank to get the cash, but as he drove there, recalled his son had been in the Eugene, Oregon area, not Canada.  He called the son/grandson and confirmed that he was still in there and not in custody in the Great White North.

The “grandchild in jail” scam is a common one and suspects nearly always target the elderly.  They may identify their intended victims by watching obituaries in the newspaper to determine who the surviving spouse is and if they have grandchildren.

 Anyone who gets a similar call for bail money should contact the troubled family member to determine if the call is valid or a hoax.

{ 18810 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1881SCAM+ALERT2010-02-25+23%3A08%3A11Rick+Penn }

      In typical passive aggressive fashion, the one-stroke away from pro-golfer status, Steve Tucker fired his opponant Dave Stevens earlier today.

Tucker, the most absent elected official in Spokane County, cited he fired Stevens for the better interest of the office amid rumors Stevens allegedly called co-workers and told them they were going to be fired. Stevens has denied the accusations. The story line that sounds very simliar to Tucker's election bid which resulted in several terminations once he took office.

Thats OK…. Now Dave Stevens can devote 100% of his energy to his campaign while Steve Tucker will have juggle his part time job as a FULL TIME prosecutor, concentrate on his golf game AND run for another term…. Something has got to give — I'm thinking Tucker wouldn't do anything to endanger his golf handicap   .  

 Its time for a change.   

KXLY Story

{ 18640 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1864FEARING+A+SMACK+DOWN%3A+Steve+Tucker+Fires+Dave+Stevens+2010-02-18+03%3A25%3A48Rick+Penn }

A 25 year verteran of the Washington State Patrol is expected to survive an ambush attempt on his life early yesterday morning. Trooper Scott Johnson was shot point blank early yesterday morning near Long Beach, WA as he was conducting an inventory of a vehicle about to be towed. Johnson was shot twice including once in the back of the head.

Read the KOMO News Story

Hopefully this maggot will be apprehended, but I expect nothing more of the pathetic Washington State justcie system. Once this person is caught there is no doubt you'll find he is a repeat career criminal.

If you hope 'the book' is thrown at this guy after they find him then are living a fantasy. Kind of hard to throw 'the book' at anybody in this state when the Washington State criminal justice system is nothing more than a turnstile. Don't try to blame the state's economic woes as a reason for this for violent offenders out on the street. This is the way its always been since 1984, and nobody has lifted a finger to improve and reform the Washington State Department of Corrections.

{ 18613 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1861Washington+State+Trooper+Shot2010-02-14+17%3A05%3A26Rick+Penn }

A female in her early 20's reported a man in a attempted to abduct her. The suspect male drove up next to her and told her to get in his van while she was on foot in the area of the 700 block of East Hartson. The suspect is described as a male estimated to be in his late 30's, clean shaven, and overweight. He was driving an old model light colored van.

{ 18560 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1856LOWER+SOUTH+HILL+%7C+Another+Abduction+Attempt2010-02-09+23%3A21%3A04Rick+Penn }

Yesterday morning a 14 year-old girl jogging through Riverfront Park was attacked by a stranger as she paused to tie her shoe. Her would be attacker was described as a white male, about 5'08" and 170 lbs, with blonde hair and a goatee. If it hadn't been for her refusal to become a victim and the actions of a good Samaritan the story may have possibly ended badly.

Nationally 1.9 million women per year are physically attacked. There are some steps you (regardless of your gender) can take to prevent becoming an attack victim.

Pepper Spray: Pepper Spray is an effective deterrent and its legal to carry in this state. Make sure its readily accessible, there is no way you will be able to fend off and attacker as you dig through your purse for a spritz during the heat of the attack — so stay prepared. Sometimes the mere visibility of can of pepper spray can make an attacker think twice.

I heard a news reporter last night suggest wasp spray because the canister sprays up to 20 feet, much farther than a can of pepper spray.  In my opinion, if you are that far (20 feet) from your attacker, you are better off to try and increase your distance from your attacker than you are taking the moment to douse him with wasp killer.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings: Like any predator, they look for the 'weakest' and most 'vulnerable' person as their victim. Project a confident mental attitude that you're not there to have your day ruined by some lowlife scum bag.

Strength in Numbers: One factor that played a role in yesterday's attempted abduction was the fact this female was jogging alone. Yea, I know, this kind of stuff doesn't happen in Riverfront Park. Truth is, this kind of thing can happen anywhere. Jogging with a friend or in a group significantly reduces the chances of being attacked.

Carry a Big Stick: If you are a walker, carry a hiking stick. A hiking stick or hiking pole makes a great gift and is a very effective defensive tactic tool.

Buy a Consumer Grade Taser: Taser requires you attend a course before you are allowed to carry one of their products. Consumer Tasers allow the user to defend themselves by immobilizing the attacker and allowing you to create distance and flee the scene.

There is no guaranteed way you will be able to prevent being attacked but some of these simple tips can go a long away and decrease your chances of being a target.

{ 18511 commenthttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1851DOWNTOWN+SPOKANE+%7C+Riverfront+Park+Attempted+Abduction+2010-02-09+21%3A34%3A30Rick+Penn }

" I think the combination of a bi-racial, mentally challenged gay male may be too much for them "                                               

                                                                         ~ Suzanne Grundy         

Suzanne is claiming her son is being descriminated against by Garfield-Palouse Schools, because Benjamin isn't allowed the perform the same moves and dances as the girls on his cheerleading squad.

Who is placing labels on who ?

{ 18450 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=1845Stupid+Quote+of+the+Day+-+Feb+3+20102010-02-03+21%3A21%3A55Rick+Penn }

Oh….. It MUST be time for the Inlander's "Best of" nominations, because I see the blogger of the spovangelist is posting more often so she can pad the votes. I dont see what the attraction is to that blog.

{ 18381 commenthttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=18382010-01-29+02%3A44%3A34Rick+Penn }

Where are the jobs Mr. President ?

Why has only 30% of the stimulus money been allocated ?

Why are 'green' projects given funding preference despite proof these projects are an employment killer rather than an employment creator ? 

Why can't you manage to wear a neck tie and show some respect to the office you swindled ?

{ 18350 commentshttp://spokanevalleyinsider.com/?p=18352010-01-27+17%3A47%3A07Rick+Penn }