By JAMES EIK
Staff Reporter
An early morning residential burglary attempt led to the shooting of a 13-year-old male on the 600 block of North Grant Street in Medical Lake.
According to reports from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, a female reported the crime at 4:50 a.m., Monday, Dec. 19. She said her husband had a suspect in the backyard, then later said the suspect had been shot.
A second 14-year-old male suspect was seen jumping the residence's fence and running down an alleyway between houses. Police later identified and contacted the juvenile at his home.
The two juveniles allegedly broke into the Grant Street home's basement, which was located under the back deck. The males were carrying baseball bats when the homeowner saw them. Police reports state the room had been broken into a week ago, but the husband didn't report the break-in. Since that time, he had installed an alarm, which went off in the burglary attempt Monday morning.
After a foot chase that lasted for several blocks, police arrested Mitchell A. Swift, 18, in connection with the previous burglary at the Grant Street residence last week. Swift had an outstanding Spokane Municipal Court theft warrant, and was also charged with residential burglary at his time of arrest. Officers learned of his involvement from statements taken from Monday's events.
Following the initial call, deputies arrived to find the 13-year-old male with a gunshot wound, and transported him to a Spokane hospital. He was listed in stable condition Tuesday following surgery.
Police collected the homeowner's .45-caliber pistol, among other evidence at the scene. Detectives were on the location throughout the day.
No arrests were made in Monday's burglary attempt as of Tuesday. The case is still under investigation, and will eventually be forwarded to the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office for review and any charging decisions.
James Eik can be reached at [email protected].
Reader Comments(0)