K-9 Maximus scores first arrest this morning

A man and a woman were arrested early today after residents living in the 2400 block of West Dean Avenue reported that a Honda automobile was being stripped of its parts in the early morning darkness. One of the arrests was the first for new Spokane police dog Maximus. Officer Sean Wheeler arrived to the 1:20 a.m. call from neighbors and caught Krystal F. Elder, 24, as she and three men tried to flee. Wheeler saw two others go into an apartment at 2404 W. Dean Ave., and a third man ran down an alley behind the apartments. It turned out the Honda had been stolen, but the theft was not yet reported to police, officers said. Parts from the Honda were being loaded into a Lexus, which was impounded. K-9 Officer Paul Gorman arrived on the scene and tracked the fleeing suspect with his dog, Maximus. The dog found a suspect two blocks away in the 2200 block of West Gardner Avenue. It was the first arrest for Maximus following several weeks of police training, officers said. Brandon T. Voss, 25, was taken into custody following the short chase. He and Elder were booked for possession of a stolen vehicle. Two others were not caught. The owner of the Honda was contacted and went to the scene on West Dean to identify her car and the parts taken off of it. Police said an investigation is continuing.