Suspected coin thieves under arrest

The Daily Inter Lake

Police arrested two young men Thursday who are suspected of stealing more than $1,000 in Eisenhower dollars from a Kalispell coin shop.

Roy David Smith-Mullenix, 17, and Josh Svennungsen, 19, each will be charged with felony theft, according to the Kalispell Police Department.

Acting on various tips, officers arrested Smith-Mullenix at a west Kalispell residence and Svennungsen at a cabin near Flathead Lake in Lake County.

Svennungsen is being held in the Lake County jail pending the adjudication of unrelated burglary charges.

Police allege Smith-Mullenix and Svennungsen visited Coins and Carats, on the 200 block of South Main Street, on Tuesday morning. While inside, investigators say, the pair distracted employees and familiarized themselves with the business.

One of the suspects returned to the shop at about 1 p.m. and grabbed two readily available bags of Eisenhower dollar coins from a back room. He ran out the building's back door, which the second suspect was holding open, to a waiting car.

After a two-hour search, police found the suspects' unoccupied getaway vehicle - a white Ford Escort registered in Lake County - near Airport Road and Begg Park.

The car is owned by one of two girls who investigators believe were with the suspects prior to the theft. Both girls were questioned Tuesday by police and released.

One of the girls, however, was arrested with Svennungsen Thursday at the Flathead Lake cabin. Christina Campbell, 15, will be charged in Flathead County with accountability to theft. She also faces two counts of burglary in Lake County.

Also arrested was Matthew Borrelli, 17, who is accused of helping Smith-Mullenix and Svennungsen evade capture. He will be charged with accountability to theft, according to police.

The investigation is ongoing and investigators are encouraging anyone with information to contact the police at (406) 758-7780.