Deputies: Car theft suspect arrested at same car dealership 4 hours after release from jail
A man arrested on suspicion of driving a car stolen from CarHop of Spokane last week was arrested at the same dealership on suspicion of attempted car theft just four hours after being released from jail, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
Around 4:30 a.m. May 3, a deputy saw a Ford Focus with no visible license plate and its hazard lights activated driving 15 mph under the speed limit on Division Street near Cascade Way, according to the Sheriff’s Office news release.
When the deputy stopped the car, Noah T. Bakken, 18, got out and walked to the deputy, who was asking him to sit back down, according to the release. Bakken told the deputy he didn’t have an ID and started “yelling and swearing.” After he was in handcuffs, Bakken walked away, the release said.
His passenger gave deputies the keys and said the car was likely stolen. The passenger then started walking away before allegedly charging at a deputy and striking her. The female passenger was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an officer, while Bakken was arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen car and on a prior domestic violence warrant, the release said.
Upon his first appearance in court, a judicial officer decided to release Bakken on his own recognizance, but the domestic violence charge kept Bakken in jail longer, Superior Court Administrator Ashley Callan said.
Callan noted that state law and the U.S. Constitution require judges to presume defendants will be released from jail except in limited circumstances.
Pre-trial jailing, a 2019 news release from the court said, should be a rare exception rather than the rule, based on the Constitution.
Bakken was released from jail on his own recognizance Monday around 10 p.m. Then, just before 2 a.m. Tuesday , a deputy responded to an alarm going off at CarHop of Spokane on 5033 E. Sprague Ave., where the Ford Focus in the prior incident was reportedly stolen , the Sheriff’s Office release said.
A deputy saw Bakken – identified from court paperwork found in his pocket after his arrest – approach one of the dealership’s cars and try to open the door, the release said. The deputy also saw one of the dealership’s doors had been broken into.
The deputy asked the man to show his hands and the suspect ran, the release said. Another deputy spotted Bakken, and after running about 100 yards , Bakken slowed and surrendered, the release said.
The time, deputies arrested Bakken on suspicion of second-degree burglary, second-degree malicious mischief, four counts of attempted car theft and two counts of obstructing officers.
Bakken was in Spokane County Jail as of Thursday afternoon and his bond was set at $2,500, according to the jail’s roster.
Maggie Quinlan can be reached at (509) 459-5135 or at maggieq@spokesman.com.