A Citizen’s Report of a Possible Vehicle Prowling Ends with Suspect’s Arrest for Residential Burglary of a Separate Residence
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, responding to a suspicious person/possible vehicle prowler, located the suspect who had just ran from a victim’ residence. The victim stated he woke up to find the female suspect inside his house and chased her outside where the Deputy stopped and arrested her for residential burglary.
On September 9, 2018, just prior to 10:00 p.m., Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Phil Pfeifer and Deputy Amber Tyler responded to 19600 block of E. Wellesley for a report of a suspected vehicle prowler. The caller reported the suspect(s) appeared “high”, were on foot and had a dog.
The Deputies began searching the mobile home park for the suspects(s) but were unsuccessful. A few minutes later, the same citizen called reporting the suspect appeared to be hiding next to one of the mobile homes.
As Deputy Pfeifer reentered the mobile home park, he observed a female, later identified as 35-year-old Ann B. Sinclair, running from the side yard of a residence. Deputy Pfeifer quickly exited his patrol car to contact Sinclair when he heard a male voice yell “I will (expletive) kill you!” and observed a male armed with a baseball bat running toward him from the home Sinclair had just ran from. When the male victim noticed Deputy Pfeifer, he immediately dropped the bat and identified Sinclair as the suspect who was in his house.
Investigating the incident, Deputy Pfeifer and Tyler learned the victim woke up after hearing a noise in his house. He got up and found Sinclair standing in his kitchen looking out a window. When he yelled, Sinclair fled out the front door and was contacted by Deputy Pfeifer. The victim stated he does not know Sinclair, she did not have permission to be inside his residence and believes Sinclair entered through an unlocked front door.
After advising Sinclair of her rights, she stated she was homeless and “roaming” around Spokane with her dog, ending up in the victim’s backyard. Initially, she admitted to entering the front door of the residence to get a glass of water, but then changed her story stating she was hanging out in the backyard when her dog jumped into the residence through an open window and she entered to retrieve her dog. Her story changed again, stating she knew the home owner from years ago, who’s name she could not remember, and went inside to say hello.
Noting Sinclair appeared to be under the influence of drugs, did not have permission to be inside the victim’s residence and gave multiple versions of why she was, she was arrested.
SCRAPS responded to take possession of Sinclair’s dog.
Sinclair was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Residential Burglary, a felony.
This incident serves as a reminder to please make sure to lock your doors, secure your garage/valuables and “If you See Something, Say Something”. Without the first caller reporting the suspicious activity, patrol units wouldn’t have been in the area and the suspect may not have been caught.