Wallet theft leads to high-speed chase, arrests

SPOKANE VALLEY - A Spokane Valley man and his female Coeur d'Alene accomplice were arrested on felony theft charges Thursday after they stole a man's wallet and then led the victim on a 100-plus mph chase.

An employee at the Tesoro gas station at 13800 E. Trent saw a regular customer get out of his car about 7:45 p.m. and saw something dark fall on the ground, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Department. The customer, a 22-year-old Spokane Valley man, came into the store to purchase a pop.

The employee then saw Jenna L. Myers, 25, Coeur d'Alene, get out of a car and pick up the object. She came into the store and whispered to Robert A. Hunter, 25, Spokane Valley, and then both quickly exited the store and began to drive away.

When the customer came to the counter and couldn't find his wallet, the employee told him the woman had picked it up and was now leaving, according to the sheriff's department. The victim ran to his own vehicle and began pursuing the couple westbound on Trent.

The Tesoro employee called the police and gave Officer Dale Wells the license plate of the suspects' car. He advised other Spokane Valley police units and Officer Tim Jones eventually stopped it at Sprague and Flora and detained the suspects.

The victim had given up the chase and returned to the Tesoro station. He told Wells that the couple had run several stop lights trying to elude him, and had reached speeds in excess of 100 mph as they attempted to flee.

Interviews with the two alleged thieves revealed that Myers had thrown the stolen wallet from the car as they crossed the Pines Road Bridge over the Spokane River, according to the sheriff's department. She also admitted hiding cash from the wallet in her underclothing. Officers recovered both.

Both suspects were booked into the Spokane County Jail on felony counts of second-degree theft of credit cards and third-degree theft of the wallet. Hunter was also booked for third-degree driving while license suspended.