~ Spokane Police Department officers responded to a call from a concerned community member on April 2nd, 2026, reporting an unoccupied suspicious vehicle left running in the area of 400 E. 16th Avenue. According to Officer T. Leming, PIO, the caller believed that the driver of the vehicle had fled the night before after being caught stealing packages by a homeowner.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers located the abandoned vehicle still running and began their investigation in the neighborhood. During their search, evidence was found indicating that the suspect had also burglarized a nearby garage. Through video evidence, the registered owner of the abandoned vehicle was identified as the suspect.

The vehicle was seized as evidence and taken to the SPD Property and Evidence Facility pending a search warrant. However, during this process, an officer made a shocking discovery. The whining sounds of a small puppy could be heard coming from inside the suspect's vehicle. The officer immediately retrieved the 8- to 10-week-old puppy and provided it with much-needed care.

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It was determined that the puppy had been abandoned for approximately 15 hours without water and with very little food. Officers contacted the Spokane Humane Society and arranged for the puppy to be transported there for further care.

After obtaining a search warrant for the vehicle on April 3rd, officers discovered several stolen keys as well as several shaved keys inside. As a result, Casey Gillette (42) was arrested for multiple crimes including Burglary 2nd degree, Animal Cruelty 2nd degree, Theft 3rd degree, and Making or Possessing Motor Vehicle Theft Tools.

Gillette was booked into Spokane County Jail where he remains in custody. Along with this news article is a photo of the abandoned puppy found in Gillette's vehicle.

The Spokane Police Department would like to remind community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or vehicles in their neighborhoods. Thanks to the quick actions of a concerned community member and the diligent work of SPD officers, a suspect has been apprehended and a puppy has been rescued from harm.

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