Spokane Police catch alleged thief, repeat offender after homeowner chases them off

Connor Sarles by Connor Sarles

SPOKANE, Wash. — A repeat offender and an alleged thief were both caught after homeowners interrupted their burglary-in-progress and chased them off.

Police responded to a call of a residential burglary near Alderwood and Ridgecrest in North Spokane at 6:30 a.m.

The homeowner reported that they were loading things into their car in the garage, and went inside to grab something. When they came out, they saw someone, later identified as 32-year-old Megan Tureman, trying to steal the bag.

The homeowner yelled at Tureman, who dropped the bag and ran to a waiting car, which drove off with her in the passenger seat.

The alleged victim was able to get the suspect vehicle’s description and license plate number.

Police quickly found the suspect vehicle, stopped it, and arrested Tureman, as well as the driver, 51-year-old repeat offender Duane Yarnell. Both were charged with residential burglary.

The Spokane Police Department says Yarnell has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1995, and includes seven incidents in 2019 alone, with several arrests for drug possession and theft.

Yarnell was previously busted for stealing Christmas presents off Spokane porches.

RELATED: Spokane Police bust suspected package thief on Christmas Eve

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