Coach pleads not guilty in kid-assisted burglary

KOMO-TV STAFF

EVERETT -- The Little League coach accused of coaching his own son, his nephew and a player on his team to burgle an abandoned shop faced a judge on Monday.

George Walter Spady, Jr. faces a second-degree burglary charge for the March 21 burglary of the shop in the 17000 block of 91st Avenue Northeast.

In court Spady only had two words to say: "Not guilty."

Outside the court, Spady's attorney, Keith Hall, insisted on his client's innocence.

"He's (Spady is) saying he's not guilty and he's just looking forward to his day in court when all of this can be discussed," Hall said. "He's raised money for these kids. He's done a lot so it's a bit of a shock to be in this glare when he's done so much positive over the years."

Investigators believe Spady used his own 12-year-old son, his nephew and a player from his team to break into a shop in Arlington and take several things.

Detectives said they first learned of the incident when a man came forward with a story his stepson had told him, according to the statement of probable cause.

The man's stepson later confirmed the story to investigators. The boy, who was upset over the incident, said his coach had taken him to the shop after picking him up to play with his son.

The boy said the coach's son crawled in through a vent in the back of the shop and unlocked the front door, as was instructed by his father.

He said the coach and the two other boys went in and came back out, holding overhead lights and some other items from the shop, according to the statement.

The coach yelled at the boy to grab some other things from the shop, the boy said, but he refused. The boy added his coach told him to hurry because he had seen a truck drive by the area twice, the document said.

When questioned by detectives, Spady said he had gone onto the property to go "four-wheeling" with the kids, according to the document. He said they later stopped by the shop and drove around for a bit.

Spady said he had not seen any of the several "no trespassing" signs posted around the property.

The coach admitted he and two of the boys had gone into the shop, but said the door had been unlocked. He said he didn't know whether his son had crawled in through a vent in the back.

The man eventually admitted to taking some overhead shop lights, but denied taking anything else. He turned over the lights to deputies.

Spady's history includes two adult misdemeanor convictions and four juvenile misdemeanor convictions. The Stilly Valley Little League has relieved him of his coaching duties.

His trial is set to begin on Sept. 11.

The kids will not be prosecuted.