Jason
Abraham Hill, 31, Coeur d’Alene, was convicted of burglary and two counts of
petit theft, one reduced by a jury from grand theft, for robberies at the
Gallery and at LaMar’s.
July 28, 2004
Jason
Abraham Hill, 31, Coeur d’Alene, was convicted of burglary and two counts of
petit theft, one reduced by a jury from grand theft, for robberies at the
Gallery and at LaMar’s.
He could face up to ten years in prison for burglary and up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 for each petit theft conviction when he’s sentenced September 2.
Boundary County prosecuting attorney Jack Douglas credited a solid investigation by the Bonners Ferry Police Department and superb cooperation from downtown business owners for the arrest and conviction. In addition to the charges brought by Boundary County, evidence was discovered during his arrest that assisted in solving crimes he’d allegedly committed in Coeur d’Alene.
The case came to light at 5 p.m. January 30, when Pamela Regehr, working at the Gallery, reported several missing penknives. She told police officers Marty Ryan and Don Moore that the display case holding the knives had been shut when she’d gone to accept a UPS package, and she provided a description of Hill, the only person in the store when the theft could have occurred.
While investigating the theft, a package was discovered on the floor that contained a pair of tweezers and a price tag from LaMar’s, and it was discovered that the tweezers had just arrived and none had yet been purchased. On February 2, Regehr reported even more items missing, over 40 necklaces and pendants valued at over $1,000.
Later that day, Moore was conducting a residence check in the Aspen Apartments, and he recognized that the man there fit the description provided by Regehr, and he identified himself as Jason Hill. After Hill refused giving consent to search, Moore drove around and ran a check on the license plate of the vehicle Hill said was his, and the license plate didn’t match. Hill could not produce ownership documents, so Moore had the vehicle impounded. Regehr and a clerk at LaMar’s were able to positively identify a photo of Hill, and a warrant was issued. During a search of the residence and vehicle, a number of the items reported stolen turned up, as well as a credit card reported stolen in Coeur d’Alene and a box of burglary tools.
“We thank the jurors, the court and all of the witnesses for their faithful service in pursuit of justice,” Douglas said. “I consider this a victory for the whole community, and it was made possible because people cared enough to do the right thing.”