Two Stolen Trailers Returned to Spokane Fire Victims

A neighbor’s report of people trying to pry open a trailer with bolt cutters led Spokane County deputies to recover two stolen cargo trailers from a residence. The trailers belonged to local business owners affected by the Spokane Complex Fires: one owner had been displaced by the fires, and the other had been using his drywall business to repair fire-damaged homes. Although both trailers were returned, most of the tools stolen from one trailer remain missing, while the other owner valued the tools taken at about $15,000. Investigators developed probable cause to charge 41-year-old Joseph A. Ballard with two counts of first-degree possession of stolen property; the investigation continues, with other people of interest identified.