‘He was very bold, he didn’t seem to care’: Thief raids Spokane critical communications company

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A Spokane Valley company which helps first responders everyday needs some help of its own.

Employees at RACOM, a Spokane Valley company that installs two-way radios and sirens for emergency vehicles, say a man broke into their new building and stole thousands of dollars worth of tools.

“He was very bold, he didn’t seem to care,” said electrical engineer Scott Grimmett, who owns the building. “He acted like it was his stuff, and he could take whatever he wanted.”

The theft happened just after 7:30 a.m. Sunday at the 16600 block of East Sprague Avenue. The intruder broke down a temporary door at a new shop the company is building. The thief stole several tools and some electronic equipment.

“The value, I’m guessing, is approximately $2,000,” Grimmett said.

He called the Sheriff’s Office and showed Spokane Valley officers security video of the suspect.

Grimmett noticed the thief, who had no gloves, picked up an industrial light and left it behind. Officers took the light to check for fingerprints.

The thief spent roughly 30 minutes inside, then left through the back door — wheeling away a full box of tools down the Appleway Trail.

“The police are referring to this as the ‘felony freeway,'” Grimmett said. “It’s a very nice trail. I walk on it, a lot of people enjoy it. But, if it’s a trail for criminals, then the City also needs to consider how they are going to deal with that.”

Grimmett is offering a $250 reward for tips that lead to an arrest.

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