In brief: Escaped inmate found in Division motel
The Spokane County inmate who escaped in a stolen truck Tuesday was found and arrested Thursday night in a motel room on North Division Street.
Devin B. Johnson ran from Spokane police officers and barricaded himself in a room at the Apple Tree Inn, then hid in the attic, after police were tipped off to his location. Police evacuated the motel, at 9508 N. Division St., and called in additional patrol officers and a K-9 unit. They talked Johnson out of the attic without incident.
Someone who was with Johnson in the motel was protected in a no-contact order issued against him by a judge, according to the Spokane Police Department. Before escaping, he was being held in the Geiger Correctional Facility on domestic assault and harassment charges.
Johnson, 25, allegedly stole a Spokane County Fairgrounds truck while working there as part of Geiger work program Tuesday morning, leading law enforcement on a three-day manhunt. The truck was found undamaged that afternoon in the 200 block of West Lacrosse Avenue.
He now faces additional charges of escaping jail, vehicle theft and violating a no-contact order.
Fourth arrest made in teen’s beating
Investigators have made a fourth arrest in connection to the brutal beating that left a 15-year-old Spokane Valley boy in the hospital for several days.
Alexis B. Dawson, 25, was arrested by officers of the interdepartmental Spokane Regional Safe Streets Task Force. She is being held in the Spokane County Jail with Tyson N. Taylor, 22, who was arrested June 18 along with two juveniles. All are charged with first-degree assault.
The beating occurred on June 15. A passerby found the boy unconscious and called 911 just before 11:30 p.m. near the 600 block of North Farr Road, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
Shortly after the incident, Tinese Burnett said her son, whom she asked not be named, suffered a fractured skull after being struck in the forehead with a metal baseball bat. He underwent brain surgery at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, she said.
Dawson’s bond was set at $75,000. Taylor’s was set at $25,000. Deputy Mark Gregory, sheriff’s office spokesman, said more arrests may be made as the investigation continues. Although the Safe Streets Task Force specializes in violent, gang- and drug-related crimes, Gregory said there is no indication the beating involved a gang.
I-90 closed after truck catches fire
A refrigerated truck carrying groceries caught fire early Thursday, forcing the closure of westbound Interstate 90 near Sprague.
The Washington State Patrol reported that the tires on the westbound semitruck caught fire, which spread to the trailer.
The fire was reported about 1:15 a.m.
The cab of the truck was spared because the driver unhitched it before flames spread, said Assistant Chief Travis McKay, of Lincoln County Fire District 1, which is based in Sprague.
The district sent three fire vehicles, which quickly doused the flames, but the trailer sustained heavy damage, McKay said. It was intact enough, however, that a towing company was able to tow it from the scene.
Both westbound lanes were reopened by 1:55 a.m., the WSP said.
Biker who hit deer charged with DUI
A motorcyclist who struck a deer near Newport, Washington, on Tuesday evening will face a charge of driving under the influence, the Washington State Patrol reported.
Alvin Wickey, 59, was traveling north on Le Clerc Road, 6 miles northwest of Newport when he struck a deer, the WSP said in a news release. His motorcycle came to rest in the road. Wickey also was cited for driving without a motorcycle endorsement and for not having a valid operator’s license. He was transported to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center where he was listed in satisfactory condition Thursday evening.
Patrol car avoids collision with SUV
A deputy patrol car was nearly hit head-on by a another vehicle Wednesday evening, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The deputy, Ryan Truman, had just crested a small hill while traveling south on North Fairview Road, near Peone Road, when he noticed an SUV, driven by Jakob McMath traveling in the middle of the road, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Truman swerved to avoid the SUV, narrowly avoiding a ditch. Truman pursued McMath, who accelerated and ran several stop signs, before driving off-road into an uncut wheat field.
Truman didn’t follow him into the field, instead watching his progress and calling for backup. About 20 minutes later two other deputies observed McMath driving in a residential area with no lights on, the sheriff’s office said. They pursued him until McMath ditched his vehicle and fled on foot.
He was found hiding in bushes nearby. He was arrested without incident and was treated for a minor injury, sustained prior to the chase, according to the news release.
McMath’s vehicle allegedly was stolen from an acquaintance. Earlier in the night, McMath allegedly forced entry into a family member’s residence, stole a phone and damaged a fence at Mountain View Middle School, the sheriff’s office said.
McMath was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, second-degree robbery, first-degree malicious mischief, attempting to elude police, resisting arrest and reckless driving. His bond was set at $20,000.