SPOKANE, Wash. — A fresh track of footprints led Spokane County Sheriff's deputies to two people suspected of stealing $1,000 worth of cigarettes and causing over $1,000 of damage to a North Spokane gas station.
Early Tuesday morning, police responded to a burglary at the Exxon Gas Station off Waikiki Road. The 911 caller reported seeing two people climbing out of the gas station's windows, the sheriff's office said.
Deputy Brent Miller and Deputy Matthew Peterson began tracking two sets of fresh footprints in the snow. According to the sheriff's office, the snow prints lead to and away from the gas station.
Officers followed the trail to the front door of an apartment on Graves Road. Deputies reported seeing a pile of what appeared to be new cigarettes.
As they interviewed two of the people inside, deputies developed probable cause to arrest them, according to the sheriff's office. They arrested 19-year-old Ethan A. Carolus and 23-year-old Skylar R. Stratton for second-degree burglary, second-degree theft and second-degree malicious mischief.
Deputy Miller identified Carolus as a suspect in a similar burglary at the same gas station earlier this month, the sheriff's office said. Additional charges were added to Carolus' booking paperwork.
When police arrived at the scene on Tuesday, they found both front doors smashed in with large concrete bricks. Officers also noticed a significant amount of cigarettes missing.
Police say over $1,000 worth of cigarettes were reportedly stolen. The pair also caused an estimated $1,200 worth of damage to the North Spokane business.
PHOTOS: Fresh snow prints lead deputies to burglary suspects
