By Tim Clifford

Road rage on Chelan
A female motorist was the victim of a very frightening instance of road rage along Chelan Ave. S.W. in the middle of the day on Oct. 6. While speaking with 911 dispatchers the complainant informed them that she was following the suspects’ car while on the phone. The dispatchers asked her to end her pursuit and police made contact with her around 12:43 p.m.

According to the victim the incident began when she attempted to switch lanes at S.W. Spokane St. and W. Marginal WY S.W. As she completed her turn a Chevy suburban, described as being champagne colored, pulled up very close to her back bumper. Seconds later she heard a loud banging noise near her trunk and knew that something had been thrown at her car. When she looked behind her she could see a curly haired man hanging out of the passenger side window of the Chevy.

When the victim turned onto Chelan Ave. S.W. she saw that the Chevy was still following close behind her. Deciding to confront the men in the Chevy the victim pulled her car to a stop in such a way as to block the road for the Chevy and got out. With her hands outstretched in front of her the victim began walking forward while signaling for the Chevy to stop.

The Chevy came to a halt and the driver began revving the engine. As the victim approached the suburban the driver let off the brakes and allowed the Chevy to lurch forward enough to tap the victim’s hands. The victim was so shocked that she froze where she was and began shaking from fear. According to the victim she believed that the Chevy was next going to run her over. The suburban pulled around her and her car and sped off. The victim jumped into her car and pursued it to around 28 Ave. S.W. before dispatchers asked her to stop.

In the report it is noted that since it was the middle of the day there were many witnesses to the incident who were still present by the time the police arrived. An area search for the suspects’ vehicle turned up negative. The victim’s car did not appear to have been damaged and she declined medical attention. The suspects remain at large.

Death of a vending machine
On Oct. 4 police responded to a report of a severely damaged vending machine in the lobby of an apartment complex on the 500 block of S. Cloverdale St. The complainant who met with the responding officers explained that the information she had was second-hand and came from another resident who wasn’t present.

According to the complainant the night before, around 11.30 p.m. a skinny white male was observed screaming and banging on the Coca-Cola vending machine in the apartment complex’s main lobby area. From his shouting it was abundantly clear that the machine had taken the man’s money and not issued a soda.

The witness who described the incident to the complainant did not recognize the man as a resident of the building.

That morning the complainant came into the main lobby to find the vending machine completely destroyed and a window opened with the screen removed. The suspect apparently crept into the building for the sole purpose of destroying the machine. The dollar slot was completely removed and inner parts of the machine were strewn all over the lobby floor.

The officers were able to remove latent finger prints from the window and from the vending machine. They noticed surveillance cameras in the lobby but when they pressed for video footage they learned that the cameras were fake. The main witness was not home at the time that the officers took statements. The suspect remains at large.

Crimes reported between Oct. 2 and Oct. 9

Burglaries by block: 4200 block of S.W. College St., 3000 block of 38 Ave. S., 3400 block of Beach Dr. S.W., 5600 block of 46 Ave. S.W., 500 block of S. Cloverdale St., 8500 block of 14 Ave. S.

Car prowls by block: 3000 block of 38 Ave. S.W., 5000 block of 49 Ave. S.W., 5000 block of 36 Ave. S.W., 5200 block of 45 Ave. S.W. (two reported), 5200 block of 17 Ave. S.W., 5400 block of 16 Ave. S.W., 6000 block of Fauntleroy WY S.W., 6400 block of 29 Ave. S.W., 6500 block of 29 Ave. S.W., 6700 block of 47 Pl. S.W., 4300 block of S.W. Mills St., 3500 block of S.W. Ida St., 8000 block of Fauntleroy WY S.W., 7900 block of Delridge WY S.W., 9200 block of Fauntleroy WY S.W., 9200 block of 24 Ave. S.W., 9200 block of 12 Ave. S.W.

Car thefts by block: 2600 block of 58 Ave. S.W., 6300 block of California Ave. S.W., 8800 block of 9 Ave. S.W., Olson Pl. S.W./ Myers WY S., 9400 block of 30 Ave. S.W.