Spokane Police Special Detail Targets Gonzaga-Area Vehicle Prowls
| Officers Make Arrest During a Vehicle Prowl Detail |
| On 12/3/10, officers were assigned to work a special detail in the Gonzaga area due to an increase in vehicle prowling’s.
Corporal Keller was parked in an unmarked vehicle in the area of Cataldo and Columbus where he observed a male, they later identified as 32 year old, Timothy Gunning. He observed Gunning ride onto the sidewalk near a long row of parked vehicles. Gunning stopped and began to look into the passenger side windows of the parked vehicles. Corporal Keller advised Officers Heuett and Pegram of his observations, who were also working the detail. Officers Heuett and Pegram observed Gunning stop at a vehicle parked directly in front of them. Officers Heuett and Pegram were also in an unmarked car and in plain clothes. Gunning stopped his bicycle and acted as if he was fixing his collar as he looked into the window. When he saw he was being watched he abruptly left the area. Officers lost sight of Gunning briefly before they located him again. Gunning had made a complete circle around the parking areas, where vehicle prowlings have been reported. This raised officer’s suspicion. Gunning was described as wearing a full face motorcycle helmet, puffy winter jacket, with several layers underneath, thick baggy snow pants, gloves and a backpack on his back. Gunning arrived on a mountain bike. Officer Heuett and Pegram stopped Gunning on Hamilton, near Gonzaga. Gunning was visibly nervous and glancing back and forth as if he was deciding whether to fight or find an escape route. Officer’s conducted a pat frisk for weapons. Officer Heuett located a pocket knife in Gunnings pocket and when he pulled the knife out two credit cards also fell out. The name on the credit cards was not Gunning. Officer Pegram found out that the name on the cards belonged to a victim of a vehicle prowling just two days prior not far from Gonzaga. The credit cards were confirmed as being stolen. Gunning was arrested for two counts of Possession of Stolen Property. He was searched incident to arrest and more credit cards were found in his backpack along with personal checks, and a social security card belonging to another possible victim (not confirmed at that time). Officers also located a quantity of shattered vehicle glass and a single Honda key in Gunnings backpack. Those items were seized as evidence. Gunning was booked into jail. |