SPOKANE, Wash. — A traffic stop for an expired license plate led to the arrest of a convicted felon with multiple outstanding warrants after he gave deputies a false identity, according to the Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Office.
Alex E. Short, 35, was arrested Nov. 8 after a deputy noticed his Toyota truck had an unreadable license plate on Sprague Avenue around 8:50 p.m., deputies said.
Short told the deputy he had no ID and provided the false name Patrick L. Jones. A records check showed no return for the information, leading deputies to suspect deception, according to the sheriff’s office.
During a search, deputies found drug paraphernalia and a pill bottle with a different name. Short’s deception ended when the passenger revealed his real name and deputies found his debit card, the sheriff’s office said.
A records check revealed Short was a convicted felon with multiple active warrants, according to deputies.
Short was booked on new charges of operating without a valid license, making false statements and possession of a legend drug without a prescription.
Short also faces outstanding warrants for felony violation of a protection order, felony DOC escape and misdemeanor assault, according to the Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Office.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
