Lewis County Sirens.com

MAN SURVIVES ATV ACCIDENT AT GRAVEL PIT

• An ATV rider was rescued this afternoon after he somehow drove off a 70-plus-foot embankment west of Centralia. Firefighters called just before 12:30 p.m. to an area off Lincoln Creek Road were told the man initially was knocked unconscious but when they found him he was claiming he was okay, according to Riverside Fire Authority. “He landed on a shelf or embankment so he didn’t go the whole distance,” Capt. Greg Schwartz said. The ATV however went all the way to the bottom of the gravel pit, Schwartz said. Responders found a roadway leading to the patient, so they didn’t need to hoist anyone up or down with ropes, he said. The man was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital where, according to Schwartz, they would have checked him from head to toe for possible internal injuries.

BICYCLIST HIT BY DUI DRIVER IN CENTRALIA

• An STP bike rider was hospitalized after he was struck by a vehicle in Centralia yesterday evening. It happened about 5 p.m. at East Summa and South Gold streets, according to police. Centralia Police Department Sgt. Carl Buster said the man behind the wheel, 69-year-old Dale G. Schmidt, of Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence of drugs. Buster said he didn’t know what kind of drugs, nor did he have details about the bicyclist, other than he was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital.

FIGHT BREAKS OUT OVER CELL PHONE

• Centralia police were called to an assault over a cell phone outside a tavern on the 300 block of North Tower Avenue about 11:30 p.m. yesterday. The male who took it gave it back, but had removed its “sim” card, the electronics inside that store its memory, according to police. The 22-year-old victim chased the guy down to get it back and was beat up, Sgt. Carl Buster said. The suspect has not yet been identified, but is now wanted for second-degree robbery, Buster said. “Instead of just thieving, once you use force, it becomes robbery,” he said.

BURGLARY

• Police were called about 2:45 p.m. yesterday about a break-in to a shed on the 1100 block of Marion Street in Centralia. It wasn’t immediately clear if anything was missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Someone spray painted gang related graffiti on a sidewalk at West Summa and South Pearl Street in Centralia, according to a police report yesterday afternoon.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; police responses for collisions, cell phone stolen while at a tavern … and more.

Updated

MISSING HANDBAG?

• Centralia police were called just after noon today by a 29-year-old woman who found a purse in her yard with no identification but containing hundreds of dollars in cash. Police Sgt. Carl Buster, on his way to answer the call to Lum Road, across from the Centralia Outlets: “It makes me happy this woman came forward and was honest. I like that,” he sad. “I don’t always get to deal with honest and friendly people. We usually see people at their worst.”

MISSING FIREARMS

• Police were called yesterday to a home on 2800 block of Borst Avenue about two pistols taken sometime the day before, according to the Centralia Police Department. An investigation is ongoing, according to police. Missing is a 9mm Ruger and a 9mm Smith and Wesson, according to police.

WRECK

• A 20-year-old driver was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital this morning after a single-vehicle wreck at Salzer Valley and Centralia-Alpha roads. Firefighters called to the scene at 7 a.m. said it appeared she was making a turn and put her car into a ditch. The young woman was transported for evaluation because of head and neck pain, Fire Capt. Terry Ternan said. She had been wearing a seatbelt, he said. The sheriff’s office reports the wreck damaged a temporary speed limit sign of 25 mph, posted because of fresh loose gravel and oil on the road.

FIRE BURNS KITCHEN

• A family is displaced after a house fire yesterday afternoon southeast of Centralia. Firefighters called just after 2 p.m. to the 100 block of Widgeon Hill Road were able to make a quick attack, getting a hose into the kitchen, according to Riverside Fire Authority. Capt. Casey McCarthy said nobody was hurt but there was fire damage in the kitchen to cabinets and the wall, as well as smoke damage throughout the home. The cause is under investigation, he said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; police responses for misdemeanor thefts; aid call for someone falling from a bicycle  … and more.

VADER VACATION HOME BURGLARIZED

• A deputy was called about 10:30 p.m. yesterday after a 44-year-old man discovered someone had ransacked his Vader vacation home. The California resident said he had last been at the home on the 200 block of Sixth Street on Saturday and when he returned yesterday, the front door was kicked in, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Among the missing valuables are 30 bottles of expensive wine, a 22 rifle and a box of knives, according to the sheriff’s office. Aftershave and items were also stolen from the refrigerator, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

POSSIBLE PICK-POCKETING IN PACKWOOD

• A Packwood woman called the sheriff’s office yesterday to say she may have been pick-pocketed while shopping at the Tatoosh Food Mart. The woman said she had her husband’s wallet in the “kangaroo pocket” of her sweatshirt but when she went to pay, it was gone. She recalled being bumped by one of three men who were in the store together and said she didn’t know if that caused the wallet to fall out, or if he took it, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. That happened between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at the 13000 block of U.S. Highway 12, and since then, his credit card has been used in Yakima and Chehalis, according to the sheriff’s office.

FIREARM MISSING FROM CAR

• A 23-year-old Chehalis area woman called 911 yesterday to report her gun was stolen from under the seat of her vehicle while it was parked, unlocked, at the 100 block of Newaukum Golf Drive. Missing sometime since June 29 is a Ruger 380 LCP, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

TOOLS TAKEN

• Centralia police took a report about 3 o’clock this morning of a tool box taken from the 1300 block of Central Boulevard. Officers have a suspect and are investigating, according to the Centralia Police Department.

TWO JAILED FOR TRESPASSING

• Two individuals were arrested in connection with trespassing about 7:30 p.m. yesterday at the 500 block of South Silver Street in Centralia. Sixty-year-old Mark A. Johnson, who was allegedly in violation of a protection order when inside the uninhabited building, was booked for burglary, according to the Centralia Police Department. Karen Baumann, 58, of Chehalis, was booked for first-degree trespass, according to police.

BICYCLIST BOOKED

• Chehalis police called just after midnight about a male loitering around Southeast Prospect Avenue subsequently arrested a 23-year-old Vader man after figuring out he had given an officer a fake name. An officer re-contacted Victor J. Hobbs on his bicycle on North National Avenue and arrested him for obstruction, according to the Chehalis Police Department. He was wanted on a warrant from Centralia.

DRUGS

• Centralia police arrested a 35-year-old Chehalis man for possession of a controlled substance yesterday. Lance Myhre was booked into the Lewis County Jail following contact with an officer at the 200 block of East Chestnut Street around 5 p.m., according to the Centralia Police Department.  He is to be released without charges pending further investigation.

COLLISIONS

• A 22-year-old motorist from Castle Rock was cited for first-degree negligent driving after her car ran into a utility pole at the 100 block of Schreiner Road near Koontz Road near Napavine yesterday. A deputy called about 6:20 p.m. to the scene noted the impact was hard enough to knock out power to several residents in the area. The sheriff’s office was unaware of any injuries to the woman or her passenger.

• Centralia police and aid were called about 2:40 p.m. yesterday to a vehicle versus pedestrian accident at East Magnolia Street and North Tower Avenue. The injury was minor, according to police. At about 4:45 p.m., responders were called to Harrison Avenue near the southbound freeway exit where a child on a bicycle was struck by a car. The youngster had a bruised leg but wasn’t transported to the hospital, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

• A 25-year-old woman was arrested for driving under the influence after her car left the roadway at the 400 block of Hillside Drive in Chehalis, went over a steep embankment and “came into contact” with a garage. It also struck another vehicle, according to the Chehalis Police Department. It happend about 2 a.m. today. Both vehicles were seriously damaged, the driver was reportedly not injured, according to police. Anna L. Economou, from Tumwater, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants; responses for other misdemeanor thefts, suspicious circumstances … and more.

Updated at 4:36 p.m.

AUTO THEFT

• Police were called just before 4:30 a.m. today to the 500 block of West Fourth Street in Centralia where a male told them that when he went back inside to get his coffee after starting his vehicle, someone drove away with it. Missing is a silver 1994 Toyota Camry, according to the Centralia Police Department. The car has a license plate reading 650 WBV, according to police.

BURGLARY

• Someone stole an Xbox from  a residence on the 500 block of Hemlock Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just before 8 p.m. yesterday.

BURGLARY ARREST

• Police arrested a 32-year-old Centralia man near his home yesterday for second-degree burglary in connection with a break-in to a commercial building at Prindle Street near Cascade Avenue in Chehalis that took place in January. Detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said someone had tried to steal a pickup truck parked inside as well as lots of tools, but got spooked by an alarm. The arrest came yesterday after police got results of DNA testing on evidence found at the scene, Wilson said. William B. Fleming was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

FIREWORKS ARREST

• Centralia police arrested a 29-year-old man about 6:20 a.m. today at Alder and Elm streets for discharge of illegal fireworks. Aaron A. Skidmore, of Chehalis, was released after an officer issued the citation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

KNIFE HIDDEN IN SLEEVE

• Centralia police arrested a 33-year-old Centralia man about 11 p.m. yesterday at the 1100 block of F Street for carrying a dangerous weapon. According to the Centralia Police Department, Jesse T. Anderson had a large knife concealed in the sleeve of his shirt. Anderson was then released after his contact with an officer. Further details were not readily available.

MAIL STOLEN

• Police took a report from the 2800 block of Borst Avenue in Centralia yesterday of mail stolen from a mailbox.

• A deputy was called to the 100 block of Edgewood Place near Mossyrock yesterday regarding the theft of outgoing mail. The resident found a sticky note from the mail carrier at about 3 p.m. noting the mailbox flag was up yet the box was empty, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. items which had been placed in the box after 9 a.m. contained checks and also credit card information, according to the sheriff’s office.

DRUGS

• Chehalis police were called about 12:20 p.m. yesterday to the portable building behind the Lewis County Juvenile Justice Center about a 16-year-old participant in a summer program there who allegedly was in possession of marijuana. An officer confiscated a small pill bottle containing green vegetable matter and will be referring the case for a possible charge, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VANDALISM

• An officer was called regarding graffiti found on a garage door on the 700 block of F Street in Centralia yesterday.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE STILL INVESTIGATING THEFT OF FIREARMS

• Lewis County Crime Stoppers is looking for tips about two burglaries to the same north Centralia home last month, one of which occurred while the woman who lives there was sleeping. Sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. on June 14, someone got inside the residence on the 100 block of Wakefield Drive and ate some food and stole some medications, according to Crime Stoppers. Authorities believe the same person or persons returned sometime during the following two days and left with two pistols –  22 caliber Ruger and 22 caliber Taurus – a Dell laptop computer and a diamond ring. The loss is around $11,000. Crime Stoppers pays up to $1,000 for information leading to the clearance of crimes. Anonymous calls can be made to 1-800-748-6422.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• Ruben A. Palomares, 28, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to three counts of delivery of methamphetamine. The Tenino-area man was arrested at the end of June following an ongoing investigation by the Chehalis Police Department. Prosecutors say he is a member of the local LVL gang. Deputy Prosecutor Shane O’Rourke said Palomares had no felony criminal history so the standard sentencing range for him was 12 months to 20 months. Attorneys on both sides agreed to recommend to the judge he be sentenced to 18 months and the judge agreed, O’Rourke said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, violations of protection orders; responses for alarms, shoplifting, stolen bicycles, other misdemeanor thefts, possible domestic assault, a person seen during the night banging around near dumpsters and talking to self; complaint about speeding vehicle in the neighborhood … and more.