Police Department

Arrest Made After Downtown Shoplifting Incident Turns Into Robbery

Ofc. Daniel Strassenberg, PIO

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 at 6:08 p.m.

On January 20th at approximately 3:45pm, Spokane Police responded to a reported theft at a business in the 200 block of North Howard. Officers contacted the store owner and observed that he was showing signs of exposure to pepper spray or a similar chemical irritant. The store owner told officers that, while working the register, he saw a young female enter the store, quickly circle around, and then leave. The female was seen stealing a beanie.

The victim went outside to speak with the suspect, asking her to return the item. At that moment, he was assaulted with pepper spray.  During the incident, he was confronted by two males. Because of the multiple people near the suspect, the victim was unsure who had sprayed him.  Due to the assault and the aggressive behavior of the others with the female, the victim retreated back into the store and locked the front door. Officers quickly responded and interviewed several witnesses.

Officers also obtained a photo of the individuals near the store and began searching the Downtown area. They located the involved parties shortly afterward, and the suspect, a 16-year-old female, was detained. The stolen beanie was recovered. The minor female was taken into custody for 1st Degree Robbery and 3rd Degree Theft. 

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