SPOKANE VALLEY, WA — A Spokane Valley man was arrested early Thursday morning after deputies found him inside a local retail store following a burglary alarm, according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 22, deputies responded to an audible commercial alarm at Ross, located at 15529 E. Broadway Avenue. Upon arrival, the first deputy on scene observed a man inside the closed store using the telephone at the checkout counter.
The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Joel S. Walker, exited the business through a large front window he had reportedly broken to gain entry. Deputies detained him without incident.
According to authorities, Walker admitted to breaking the window because he needed a pair of shoes and claimed he couldn’t wait for the store to open due to hearing a “hazmat alarm in the city.” Deputies noted Walker was wearing a new pair of women’s shoes with the store’s security tag still attached. His original shoes were located inside the store.
Store personnel estimated the window damage at approximately $1,000. The shoes Walker attempted to take were priced at $19.99. The business requested that Walker be formally trespassed from the premises.
Walker was booked into the Spokane County Jail on charges of second-degree burglary and second-degree malicious mischief, both felonies, as well as third-degree theft, a misdemeanor. He was later released on his own recognizance following a court appearance in Spokane County Superior Court.
