Police Department

Two Thieves Arrested for Stealing Presents Two Christmases in a Row

Sgt. Terry Preuninger, PIO

Thursday, December 31, 2020 at 4:26 p.m.

On December 24^th around 1:30PM SPD received a call reporting that their neighbor had just had a package stolen off of their porch near the 2500 block of W. Crown.  The caller gave an accurate suspect vehicle description and the license plate as well as the description of the suspects.

Officers responded and contacted the victim who showed them surveillance video of the theft.  The video showed a female suspect with dark hair with distinctive highlights, a “12” hoodie, and distinct black shoes with white soles.  The video shows her coming up to the packages and then bent over looking at them.  The victim told SPD that the stolen package was a gift for a child and it was a “jack in the box”.

Members of one of the SPD PAC Teams (Police Anti-Crime) recognized the suspect vehicle as belonging to Megan Tureman (33) and Duane Yarnell (52) from last year’s holiday season where they were caught committing numerous thefts that included at least five separate victims, and eventually the execution of a search warrant of Yarnell’s home which yielded a larger number of stolen Christmas presents, many from victims that could not be located.

An ongoing investigation into the pair developed probable cause to place more charges adding to the existing 173 felony charges that the two criminals have between them.  

On December 25^th, 2020 around 1:30PM SPD setup surveillance near Yarnell’s residence on the 2900 block of W. Wellesley.  Shortly after, officers observed Yarnell and Tureman pull up to the property and start to open the gate.  Officers contacted them and informed Tureman she was under arrest.  Tureman was still wearing the same “12” hoodie and distinctive black shoes with white soles.  Yarnell was detained as well and had a warrant out of Colfax.

Tureman advised officers that that she was in possession of the stolen “jack in the box”. It was in a bag sitting in the driveway.  The bag also contained other stolen items addressed to people that were not Tureman or Yarnell.

Yarnell and Tureman were both placed under arrest for Theft 3^rd with Yarnell getting an additional charge of Posession off Stolen Property 3^rd.

Yarnell and Tureman were transported and booked into Spokane County Jail on the above charges.

That’s two Christmases in a row these suspects have gone out to victimize others in the Holiday Season and fortunately with the cooperation of community members and police they have spent the last two Christmas’s in jail.

The pair have a lengthy criminal history including Yarnell being charged with Trafficking Stolen Property 1^st Degree and Tureman being charged with Burglary 2^nd Degree, Theft 2^nd Degree, and Trafficking Stolen Property 1^st Degree for stealing a large Kneeling soldier statue from a veteran’s yard earlier this year.  They then sold the statue via a social media site to an unsuspecting buyer in Chewelah before being caught.

Their combined 173 felony charges range from Possession of Stolen Property 2^nd Degree, Forgery, 2^nd Degree Theft, Identity Theft, Mail Theft, and Criminal Conspiracy.

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