Body identified as Kennewick woman | Tri-City Herald

A woman found dead in an irrigation canal Monday has been identified as Denise E. Cole, 46, of Kennewick.

Benton County Coroner-elect John Hansens, who is serving as an acting deputy coroner until Jan. 1, released the woman's name Tuesday after family members were notified.

Cole does not have relatives in the Tri-Cities, Hansens said.

She has a history of drug convictions in Superior Court in Benton and Franklin counties, including possession of heroin in 2000 and possession of methamphetamine in 2005, 2007 and 2008, according to online court records.

A new charge of meth possession was filed in Benton County Superior Court on Nov. 9. She failed to appear at her Nov. 17 arraignment and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Her body was found just before noon Monday in a Columbia Irrigation District canal at the corner of 36th Avenue and Gum Street in Kennewick.

The cause of her death is not yet known. An autopsy is scheduled for today, Hansens said.

Her body was face down in about a foot of water and 5 inches of mud, officials said.

Police said she had not been reported missing.

Detectives arrest bank robbery suspect

A 22-year-old Kennewick man was caught in Spokane late Monday, about 10 hours after he was suspected of robbing a Kennewick bank, police said.

John T. Walker is accused of walking into the Sterling Savings Bank at 138 Vista Way at 1:40 p.m., telling the teller he had a weapon and stealing cash.

The bank, however, had recently installed a digital media security camera system that generated quality pictures of Walker entering and leaving the bank, said Kennewick police Sgt. Ken Lattin.

Pictures of Walker were quickly distributed to the media and law enforcement agencies, and a Kennewick police support specialist was able to identify Walker in the photo, Lattin said.

A Department of Corrections case worker also identified Walker, who is on active state corrections supervision.

Detectives talked to Walker's family and friends and learned he also has family in Spokane, Lattin said.

Around 11:30 p.m. Walker was arrested at a Spokane home and taken into custody on a corrections warrant.

Kennewick police detectives went to Spokane on Tuesday morning to arrest him for the bank robbery, Lattin said.

Assault suspect decides to surrender before SWAT team activated

The Tri-City Regional SWAT team surrounded a Kennewick apartment for several hours late Monday after an assault suspect refused to leave, authorities said.

Kennewick police were called at 9:15 p.m. to the area of 108 N. Conway St. after a 20-year-old woman reported being assaulted by her boyfriend, said Sgt. Ken Lattin.

Officers thought the woman and David J. Ash, 32, of Burbank, were in apartment D, H or F, and several people were contacted but Ash refused to leave, Lattin said.

The SWAT team was activated, and as they were getting ready to enter the apartment, Ash and his girlfriend came outside, Lattin said.

Ash was booked into the Benton County jail on an outstanding warrant and a report will be forwarded to prosecutors to review for a possible domestic violence assault charge.

DNA leads to arrest on voyeurism charge

DNA results on semen found in a Walla Walla woman's home in August have led to the arrest of an acquaintance on suspicion of voyeurism, police said.

Marco A. Gayton Jackson, 21, of Walla Walla, also was jailed on suspicion of residential burglary with sexual motivation, said Walla Walla police Officer Tim Bennett.

The arrest stems from an Aug. 20 incident when police investigated a burglary at a rental home on Washington Street, Bennett said.

The resident, a woman in her 30s, told police she had been taking a shower with the bathroom door open, but after showering, she noticed a wet substance on the bathroom doorknob, he said.

A sample of the substance was collected and sent to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, which confirmed it was semen, Bennett said.

DNA analysis received earlier this month indicated the semen belonged to Gayton Jackson, Bennett said.

The suspect is an acquaintance of the victim, who police said was shocked by the results of the DNA analysis.

Gayton Jackson has prior felony convictions for residential burglary, malicious mischief and first-degree theft, Bennett said.

He is being held in the Walla Walla County jail.

Authorities ask for help to catch cologne thief

Tri-Cities Crime Stoppers and Kennewick police are looking for help identifying a man who stole $2,000 worth of cologne from the JC Penney at Columbia Center mall on Sunday.

A store security officer tried to stop him from leaving the store and when she put her hand on his arm, he punched her in the face, police said.

He dropped the bag of cologne and headed toward the parking lot. When the security officer told him not to leave, he threatened her and then ran away.

Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call Crime Stoppers are 586-8477 or 800-222-8477. Callers do not have to give their names.

Tips also can be reported at www.tricitiescrimestoppers. org.

Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Multiple vehicles are vandalized in Kennewick

Kennewick police received reports of five vehicles vandalized where they were parked overnight Sunday.

Four of the vehicles had punctured tires, and two had smashed windows.

The vehicles were parked in the 800 block of South Beech Street, 400 block of South Yelm Street, 400 block of East Eighth Avenue, 4900 block of Fruitland Street and 200 block of West 48th Avenue.

None of the victims believed they were specifically targeted, police said.

There were no suspects Monday in any of the incidents.

Anyone who may have seen something suspicious is asked to call police.