Suspect held in restaurant robbery
A robber hit a downtown Spokane pizza business Saturday night, making off with about $10,000 and locking employees inside the store, police said.
However, police said the suspected robber didn’t get far. A suspect was arrested about 11 p.m., a half hour after a man entered Rocky Rococo Pizza and Pasta, 520 W. Main Ave.
Employees were closing and counting the till when the man threatened the clerk, although she did not see a weapon. He cleaned out the register and safe, then locked the restaurant, taking the key with him.
Officers swarmed the downtown area, which was still alive with Hoopfest patrons. A team of bicycle officers in Riverfront Park caught a man who fit the robber’s description.
As of late Saturday, officers were still interviewing employees.
Two sex offenders living in city
Two level 3 sex offenders – the kind considered most likely to reoffend – have moved to Spokane, according to the Spokane Police Department.
Kenneth J. Dawson, 38, is now living in the downtown area, according to police. Dawson was released last week after serving a five-year sentence for indecent liberties with forcible compulsion. His victim was a 10-year-old girl.
According to a police bulletin, Dawson has admitted to having sexually abused other children between the ages of 8 and 17, although he was never charged.
Dawson will be supervised by the Department of Corrections for three years. He is 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 140 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes.
Police also warned that Anthony J. Lott, who was convicted last year of third-degree child molestation, was released June 13 and is now living in the southeast part of Spokane.
Lott’s victim was a 14-year-old girl. He also has been convicted of first-degree rape of a 7-year-old boy.
The DOC will supervise him for the next three to four years. Lott, 22, is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 170 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.
Neither man is allowed to have contact with minors under 16.
Send us your Superman stories
The countdown to the Man of Steel’s return to the big screen has long begun, as have threads on the movie’s MySpace page discussing the premiere and debating the worst Superman villain.
“Superman Returns” opens Tuesday night with special showings at area theaters and regular screenings beginning Wednesday.
The Spokesman-Review and 7 are working on a story recounting readers’ Superman memories and are seeking your favorites.
Please send your thoughts in an e-mail to spokane7@spokane7.com with your name and contact information, or call staff writer Dan Webster at (509) 459-5483.
Caldwell, Idaho
Idaho veterans to get new facility
A new medical clinic serving military veterans will open in Caldwell, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced.
The clinic will serve military men and women in southwestern Idaho, said U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.