Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeThursday, Oct. 29, 2009
Teens allegedly caught breaking into Kennewick cars
Paula Horton, Herald staff writer
KENNEWICK -- Two teens were arrested early Wednesday after breaking into or vandalizing about 30 cars in Kennewick, authorities said.
Kennewick police were called at 1:30 a.m. by a resident in the 1800 block of West Fourth Avenue who spotted two people who appeared to be breaking into a vehicle, Officer Ryan Kelly said.
Responding officers found 18-year-old Daniel Calton of Carbonado and a 17-year-old Kennewick boy and detained them, he said.
Officers then searched the area and found about 30 vehicles had been broken into or vandalized. Gas caps were stolen from many of them, Kelly said.
Both were arrested.
Calton was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of vehicle prowling and malicious mischief, while the 17-year-old was taken to the juvenile detention center.
Residents in the area of the Kennewick Housing Authority, near Fifth Avenue and Sharron Street, who find their vehicles were broken into should call Kennewick police at 628-0333.
Suspected heroin turns out to be tobacco
A specially packaged bundle of suspected heroin found in a bathroom at Columbia Point Marina turned out to be a block of chewing tobacco.
The package was found Tuesday when a maintenance worker bumped into the ventilation screen inside the bathroom, Richland police Capt. Mike Cobb said.
Officers initially thought the package had six, 1-ounce bindles of heroin and speculated it was left there for someone on a state Department of Corrections work crew to pick up, he said.
About 90 seconds after it was found, a van of inmates from Coyote Ridge Corrections Center pulled into the marina for a break, Cobb said. The inmates had been picking up litter along Highway 240.
Further testing showed the package contained a block of chewing tobacco that has the same consistency and appearance of black tar heroin, Cobb said.
Investigators still have no proof the package was left for a Coyote Ridge work crew inmate, but Cobb suspects it was.
"Who else would treat that as contraband other than someone in the penal system?" Cobb said. "It's the only reasonable explanation I can think of."
Traffic stop leads to Sunnyside pot arrests
A defective brake light landed three men in the Sunnyside jail after officers smelled and spotted marijuana inside the car during a traffic stop, officials said.
Sunnyside police Officer TJ Orth stopped a black 1992 Honda Civic about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday because it had a defective brake light, said Charlotte Hinderlider, the department's spokeswoman.
When Orth talked to the driver, Ricardo Espindola Jr., 18, of Sunnyside, he could smell marijuana coming from the car, Hinderlider said
As Espindola got the vehicle's registration out of the glove box, the officer spotted baggies used for packaging drugs inside, she said.
Marijuana also was found in the folds of the registration, Hinderlider said.
Espindola and his three passengers were detained and searched.
One of the passengers, Jose Antonio Cisneros, 19, of Sunnyside, was found with 34 grams of marijuana, more than $1,200 in cash and a digital scale, Hinderlider said.
A box of .22-caliber bullets also was found near his seat, she said.
Cisneros was arrested and booked into the Sunnyside city jail on suspicion of possessing marijuana with intent to deliver.
Espindola, who also allegedly was found with a marijuana pipe, was jailed on suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
A third suspect, Edgar Bernardo Chavez, 18, of Sunnyside, was booked into the jail on suspicion of possessing marijuana after officers reported finding 3 grams of marijuana on him, Hinderlider said.
The fourth person in the car, who was not found with marijuana, was questioned and released.
Walla Walla school fundraiser is scam
Walla Walla police are warning local businesses about a scammer claiming to be raising money for Garrison Middle School.
A Walla Walla business was contacted this week by a woman who said she worked for Scoreboard Productions and said they were raising money for the middle school, Officer Tim Bennett said.
The business owner agreed to pay nearly $300 for the business logo to be used on T-shirts and advertisements for the school's basketball program, he said.
School district officials said no such fundraising efforts are taking place for any of the district's schools, Bennett said.
He added that people can protect themselves from similar scams by asking for the contact information for the school, police or fire agency that the telemarketing company says it is raising money for.
A legitimate telemarketer should be able to quickly provide that information, and people should always call the agency first to confirm the company is working for them, he said.
"Fraudulent telemarketers may tell you this is a 'one-time offer and you must act now,' " Bennett said. "Do not fall for this tactic."
Kennewick police seek escapee, woman
Kennewick police and Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with a counterfeiting case and a woman accused of helping him hide from authorities.
Dustin R. Benson, 30, is wanted for escape from community custody. He is 5-foot-11, 201 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Regan E. Davidson, 31, is wanted for theft. She is 5-foot-9, 188 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.
Police allege Davidson has been involved in hiding Benson, who is being sought in an ongoing counterfeiting investigation.
Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers pays a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that results in a felony arrest.
Anyone with information about the suspects' whereabouts can call 586-8477 or go to www.tricitiescrimestoppers.org. Tips can also be sent by text message by writing "Text TIP 411" plus the message to CRIMES (274637).
All calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential.
-- Paula Horton: 509-582-1556; phorton@tricityherald.com
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