SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A Spokane Valley man was arrested for burglary after attempting to leave a local store with stolen merchandise for the third time, despite prior trespassing warnings.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy contacted 40-year-old Jared Milam at around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday as he was walking out of a store in the 5000 block of East Sprague Avenue without paying. The deputy said that they noticed a noticeable bulge under Milam’s coat and detained him for further investigation.
When Milam withdrew his hand from his pocket, he handed over a can of spray paint, saying, “Okay, here’s the paint.” As he pulled out his other hand, two boxes of stolen merchandise fell from beneath his coat. The items, including a can of spray paint and two boxes of knives, were recovered, according to deputies.
Milam initially claimed he thought he had returned the items, then said he believed he had his payment card with him, but later admitted to taking the items without paying. Deputies said he expressed indifference, stating that the judge wouldn’t care and that he would be released within hours.
Further investigation revealed Milam had been trespassed from the store twice before: once in 2022 after a burglary and second-degree theft arrest, and again in 2023. On both occasions, store employees and law enforcement had signed trespass paperwork to prevent his return.
As a result of the prior warnings and the stolen merchandise, Milam was arrested for commercial burglary. He was booked into the Spokane County Jail, and the stolen items were returned to the store, according to deputies.
