SCSO arrests thieves, recovers stolen property

KINGSTON — In what seems to be a rash of thefts and burglaries recently in Shoshone County, law enforcement has once again taken suspected responsible parties into custody and recovered many stolen items.

Shoshone County Sheriff's Office Cpt. Jeff Lee reports that on June 12, deputies and a U.S. Forest Service officer arrested James Spencer, 50, of Coeur d'Alene and Sandra Latimer, 56, of Kellogg for charges relating to the thefts of a 2020 Salem Cruise camper, a Ford Ranger pick-up truck, a black toolbox, and various other items.

Law enforcement located the items and the suspects after responding to a report of trespassing on private property, located just off Riverview Drive near milepost 40, around 11:30 a.m. that same day.

"They (property owners) noticed a red tube across the driveway into their property that they did not place there and they observed a camper on the property," Cpt. Lee said.

When law enforcement arrived on-scene, they attempted to make contact with the occupants of the camper, but no one was home. Attempting to determine the owners, the vin number of the camper was called in to dispatch and results showed that it had been reported stolen.

The 33-foot camper was stolen between May 31 and June 6 from private property in the Eagle Creek and Prichard Creek Road area.

At that point, law enforcement took a look around the area to ensure that no one was hiding. In the midst of that search, a Ford Ranger was discovered — the very same one that had been reported stolen from a residence just outside the city of Pinehurst that morning.

Deputies and the USFS officer ended up searching most of the property, equivalent to the size of a city block, and came across a recently used campsite and various personal items — but no people.

Knowing the area, deputies then decided to visit a neighboring house to the campsite that SCSO had prior dealings with.

"There were several human tracks that we located in the grass, a sort-of footpath, going directly from the campsite to that house," Lee said.

While speaking with the multiple occupants of the home, the USFS officer spotted Spencer emerging from a small, metal shed near the home and immediately took him into custody. Based on conversations with the home occupants and Spencer, Latimer was determined to be a co-conspirator to the thefts as well. She would later be arrested that day in the Eagle Creek area.

Both Spencer and Latimer were said to have been living in the camper after they allegedly stole it.

In addition to the camper and truck, multiple other smaller items were recovered from the area. While the investigation remains ongoing, many of the stolen items have already been returned.

"There's a large amount of property there, so that's why it is still ongoing," Lee said. "There could be property that people don't even know that has been stolen."

"I'm just glad we were able to get property back to the rightful owners," he added.

Spencer's initial jail booking criminal charges include two counts of grand theft, criminal conspiracy, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Latimer was booked for charges of criminal conspiracy and possession of less than 3 ounces of marijuana.

Lee stated that both individuals have had numerous run-ins with SCSO over the years.

If you or someone you know is missing something, contact SCSO at 208-556-1114 or local law enforcement agency.