Neighbors held burglar at gunpoint until SPD made arrest

Caroline Rourke by Caroline Rourke

When a man broke into the house next door, a group of Spokane neighbors stepped up to help- even holding the would-be burglar at gunpoint until Spokane Police arrived on scene.

Raymond and Desiree Dupris have lived on this street for 13 years. They say it’s usually quiet, and the neighbors look out for each other.

“We’re all pretty close on this side of the street and in our general area. We keep an eye out, we do what we can,” Desiree said.

But, Monday night- they knew something was off.

“Well, we were both sitting watching T.V. or the news or something, [and] saw these couple of people walk by and saw on the reflection in the T.V. They went up to the next door neighbor’s [house],” Raymond said.

Raymond Dupris didn’t recognize the man or the woman, but he knew the woman who lived in the home next door wasn’t there. She was up north, where cell service had been largely limited or unavailable all day- the Dupris’ could not get in touch with here. He watched from his window as the couple walked past the home, but then came around back through an alley.

“She kept walking that way, and then ‘where’s he at’ and then next thing I know I see a backpack fly over the fence and he jumped the fence,” Raymond said. “He broke the door in, so that’s when I came in and told her to call the neighbor,” he said.

The neighbor who lives on the other side of the Dupris’ came over with his gun, and Desiree called Spokane Police.

“[Desiree] happened to see him come out, trying to come out, the bathroom window, and our neighbor had the gun on him,” Raymond said.

The burglar tried to flee through the front of the house instead, but was cornered by Raymond and the neighbor with the gun.

“He just stopped in his tracks and got down on the ground. I held him down to the ground and got on him my knee on the back of his neck and and the other neighbor was had the gun on him, and we were just waiting for the cops,” Raymond said.

Spokane police arrived quickly, and arrested 21-year-old Keanen Timmer. He made his first appearance in Spokane County Superior Court on Tuesday, for a residential burglary charge. His bond has been set at $500.

KXLY spoke with the woman who owns the house on Tuesday. She didn’t want to speak on camera, but said she’s grateful for her neighbor’s actions. The Dupris’ are still processing what happened.

“I wasn’t nervous. I just reacted to the situation,” Raymond said.

“I was. When I saw [Raymond] sitting on his back, I had an adrenaline rush,” his wife said.

They say they hope Timmer learned his lesson.

“Hopefully we sent the message that you don’t come to this neighborhood and break into homes. Because you don’t know who is watching,” Desiree said.

In a release, the Spokane Police Department said “this was a great example of neighbors looking out for each other and their neighborhood.” But, they ask that anyone who does get involved in an incident like this one contact 911 first, so law enforcement can head that direction as quickly as possible.

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