The North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force has arrested three young men and charged the trio with robbery, first degree kidnapping, aggravated assault and discharging a firearm at a residence.
Task force detectives have been investigating a drive-by shooting that happened in the 4700 block of W. Seasons Rd. near Athol in late November. Several bullets hit a house with people inside at the time. The investigation led detectives to believe 20-year-old Korey T. Hines, of Spokane, 18-year-old Zion E. Hansen, and 19-year-old Noah P. Guinasso, both of Coeur d'Alene, were the likely suspects of the crime.
On January 10, around 11 p.m. the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office and the Post Falls Police Department responded to a reported assault call on N. Tinsmith Ln. and Mullan Ave. where Hines, Hansen and Guinasso were alleged to have assaulted a juvenile in front of a house. When detectives NIVCTF detectives learned the three men were involved in the Post Falls incident, their investigation led them to discover they were in fact the suspects in the November drive-by.
Police say the Post Falls assault was actually an attempted robbery by Hines, Hansen and Guinasso. The juvenile involved was trying to sell illegal drugs to the trio when they pulled up wearing masks and bandanas armed with a realistic-looking Air Soft pistol and attempted to rob the juvenile. NIVCTF detectives also determined that the November drive-by was retaliation for remarks made on Facebook.
(story: Matt Pusatory, KHQ Local News Web Producer, KHQ.com; photos: Kootenai County Sheriff's Office)