Suspect arrested after deaf act proves unconvincing

A robbery suspect blew his deaf man impersonation early Wednesday when he replied to a comment while looking away from an officer.

Rueben James Carlton, 22, was arrested for possession of marijuana and making false statements to a police officer, said spokesman Sgt. Dave Reagan. Carlton was booked into Spokane County Jail on a warrant for third-degree theft.

Spokane Valley police originally contacted Carlton because he fit the description of a perpetrator in a Bank of America robbery early Wednesday, Reagan said.

Shortly after midnight Tuesday, a fast-food restaurant employee was making a deposit at the bank, 8505 E. Sprague Ave., when a man stole her bank bag and ran away.

The restaurant employee described the man as 5 feet 8 inches tall, thin and wearing black pants and hooded green sweat shirt, Reagan said. An officer spotted Carlton a short time later.

When the officer tried to talk to Carlton, the man used his hands to indicate he was deaf, Reagan said. Carlton then wrote down his name and date of birth on a piece of paper and gave it to the officer.

Carlton was looking down and not at the officer’s lips when the officer accused Carlton of giving him a false name, Reagan said. Carlton quickly replied he was being truthful.

The officer found a drug pipe and marijuana in Carlton’s pockets, Reagan said. The stolen bank bag and its contents were not found.