Man arrested after attempted burglary of Spokane Valley strip club after hours

Quinn Welsch, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·1 min read

Jan. 11—A man was arrested last week after he allegedly broke down a strip club door with a vehicle and stole its cash drawer, according to court documents.

Surveillance footage showed 20-year-old Cesar A. Ruiz used the back end of his Jeep Liberty to push open the front door of Deja Vu, 8722 E. Sprague Ave., at about 4 a.m., two hours after the club closed, court documents said. Ruiz is said to have attempted to access an ATM before taking a cash drawer, valued at less than $750, and leaving the building.

Ruiz then drove his vehicle onto nearby First Avenue and re-entered the club.

Spokane Valley sheriff's deputies responded to an alarm at the strip club at about 4:30 a.m. They saw the damaged front door and could hear a loud banging inside, court documents said. A deputy saw a man, later identified as Ruiz, look outside of the damaged front door before running back through the building.

Deputies arrested Ruiz without incident, the court documents said. The cash drawer was located in Ruiz's car.

Damage to the business was estimated at $20,000, according to the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

Ruiz was arrested on suspicion of second-degree commercial burglary, first-degree malicious mischief and third-degree theft. He was released on his own recognizance later that day.