Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 8:29 p.m.

MEN POSING AS CITY WORKERS TRY TO TRICK BANK

• Chehalis police responded the the Washington State Employees Credit Union on Northeast Kresky Avenue about 3 p.m. yesterday after two males showed up and said they were with the city and wanted to look at the building’s plumbing and electrical. Police were told the men didn’t have city identification, but did have driver’s licenses from out of state, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Officers viewed photos of the suspects and tried to locate a vehicle, but to no avail, according to police. Turns out it was like a “secret shopper” situation organized by the bank, and through a glitch, the branch wasn’t notified as they should have been, according to department spokesperson Linda Bailey. Police learned this morning it was a training exercise they do with their branches, Bailey said.

MISSING DOLLY

• The Texaco on the 100 block of U.S. Highway 12 east of Napavine is missing a 2002 U-Haul International car dolly valued at $1,500, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports this morning. The last time it was known to be in the business’s inventory was on Dec. 22 and is believed to have been returned by a customer sometime between then and Tuesday and parked in front of the store next to the highway, according to the sheriff’s office.

DON’T SHOOT THAT GUN

• Chehalis police were called to the 300 block of Southwest Pacific Avenue yesterday about a missing black powder rifle. It disappeared the night before sometime between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and may have just been borrowed, but its owner is concerned if anyone tries to use it they could be hurt because it has a crack in the barrel, according to the Chehalis Police Department. It was described as silver colored with a wooden stock, according to police.

POSTAL THEFT

• Someone broke into a mailbox overnight at the 1100 block of Kresky Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday morning.

GRAFFITI

• Centralia police were called about 8:15 a.m. yesterday about the tagging of an apartment building on the 400 block of North Ash Street.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police yesterday took reports of three more vehicles with their windows smashed out and/or prowled along the 400 blocks of Northeast Adams and Southwest William avenues.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• An arraignment is set for next Thursday for a 21-year-old Centralia man charged with second-degree robbery who allegedly took cash from his girlfriend and threatened to punch her when she tried to get it back on Monday. Nevarone N. Rubin was arrested on Monday following the incident in Centralia and charged Tuesday in Lewis County Superior Court. Charging documents state the girl’s father left her $260 cash and when Rubin showed up, he grabbed it from a table, and the two struggled for a brief moment. A judge set his bail at $10,000. He qualified for a court-appointed attorney.

• A 33-year-old Winlock man remains held on $50,000 bail following his arrest on Monday for an incident in early November in which and another man allegedly barged into an acquaintance’s residence in Toledo demanding valuables. Kyle E. Rogers was brought before a judge yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court where he is charged with second-degree robbery. Charging documents allege a visitor answered the door and two men wearing bandanas burst in; one named “Nick” threatened them with a beer bottle and Rogers punched the resident in the face. The men reportedly took three computers and fled. Charges were filed on Dec. 30 and an arrest warrant issued when Rogers’ whereabouts were unknown, according to court documents. A Lewis County deputy prosecutor recommended to the judge yesterday afternoon the bail be left at $50,000, given that Roger’s history included two assaults, eluding, witness tampering plus juvenile offense. The judge agreed. His arraignment was set for today.

DUI WRECK

• A 35-year-old Packwood woman was arrested overnight for driving under the influence after she reportedly ran a stop sign and struck a utility pole on the 100 block of Timberline Drive in Packwood. Deputies responding about 12:20 a.m. booked Dawnette M. Wicks into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants; responses for dispute, disorderly person, misdemeanor assault, suspicious circumstances, lost or stolen license plate, collision on county road, landlord finding more than 100 syringes laying around a residence after evicting a tenant … and more.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – They didn’t sneak in to burglarize her home while she was away, or hack into her bank accounts through the internet, but someone managed to bilk an 81-year-old Chehalis woman out of thousands of dollars.

Twice, in less than two months.

In December, she lost about $23,000, after receiving a phone call telling her she was the winner of a $2.5 million lottery and a new car. She was told she needed to pay for taxes and the vehicle registration and sent money to individuals in other states.

When Chehalis police learned of the theft, they weren’t optimistic about recovering any of it.

The scam, using old fashioned technology like a telephone and the U.S. mail worked out well for the unknown thieves, but very bad for the elderly victim.

On Friday, an officer was called to the same woman’s home again, and learned she was tricked out of another nearly $15,000.

It was clearly the same people, according to Officer Steve Nikander. At first she said no, but they convinced her they could get her money back, Nikander said.

“All she had to do is send more money, that she did win the car and the lottery,” he said. “The exact same thing, two months in a row, and she believed them.”

“It’s horrible, it’s sad,” he said.

Nikander said the victim lives with her grown daughter, who works and goes to school.

“She’s elderly, she’s alone a lot,” he said. “I think she’s just a very trusting lady.”

Some of the details are unclear, as she was embarrassed, and not very forthcoming because of that, he said.

She apparently increased the limit on her credit cards and got cash advances.

The first time, she sent money orders, but her daughter had seen one and asked about it, Nikander said.

So this time, they told her to buy a greeting card and tuck the cash inside, he said. She did.

She mailed money to addresses in California, Ohio and Massachusetts, he said.

He speculated how someone might use fake identification to rent a private mailbox for a month, and once their scam is finished, just walk away.

Solvability with such schemes is difficult at best, Chehalis Police Department detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said.

Detectives would need to confirm the identify of the thief before sending a police agency in another state to try to track them down, he said. These are the kind people who don’t use their real names, according to Wilson.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has had at least two similar thefts just this month. One was someone pretending to be a grandson who needed emergency money, and the other was someone telling an 83-year-old Winlock woman she had won a new vehicle.

Nikander sat down with the Chehalis victim and her grown daughter and talked about options, the tough kind of conversation about powers of attorney, maybe counseling, maybe a visit to her doctor, he said.

He took a report for informational purposes, and what can be done beyond that, he didn’t know.

There are literally millions of dollars a day lost in phone scams, he said.

“The best offense is education, to not let it happen in the first place,” he said.

His advice for anyone and everyone with elderly family members is to make sure to school them about a basic fact of life.

“If you have to send money to win, it’s a scam,” he said.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Phillip A. Pinotti and Zachary J. Maurer have both pleaded not guilty to their drug charge filed earlier this month in connection with an alleged incident last summer.

Pinotti, 22, of Adna, has been in and out of jail and courtrooms since his high profile escape from an attempted misdemeanor arrest at Centralia Municipal Court in December that drew gunfire from an officer.

One of the allegations in that case is when he left his car with two friends, before going into hiding, he grabbed a backpack and another bag, saying he didn’t want to leave his drugs in the car.

While free on bail, he allegedly sold heroin to a person working with police and was charged on Jan. 9 with delivery of a controlled substance, and possession of the same.

Prosecutors the same day also filed charges against he and Maurer of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver based on an incident in August with Centralia police.

According to charging documents, Centralia police had him and Maurer under surveillance as they went to Longview to purchase heroin, and subsequently impounded the vehicle and found heroin, a digital scale and smoking devices. The documents make no mention of either man getting arrested.

Pinotti went before a Lewis County Superior Court judge the afternoon of Jan. 9 when his bail was set at $75,000 bail on each of the two separate drug cases. Maurer was arrested that day, and on the following Monday a judge set his bail at $50,000.

Maurer, 25, has a Centralia address.

Their August contact with police began with a tip from someone described as a reliable source that Maurer would be traveling to Cowlitz County to purchase heroin to sell in Lewis County and Pinotti would be traveling with him, according to charging documents.

Charging documents go on to say that police surveillance was underway when Maurer exchanged someone’s Volkswagen Jetta for a black BMW belonging to Pinotti’s girlfriend. They go on to state that when the BMW returned to Lewis County and pulled into a gas station, the two were contacted by police.

After Centralia police dog Kayo “alerted” to the presence of a suspected controlled substance in the car, and while police waited for a tow truck to impound the car, Pinotti and Maurer were seen conversing, and Pinotti reportedly approached and officer and said he would “take the fall,” charging documents state.

Neither were under arrest and they left, the documents state, without elaborating as to why they were let go.

But a search of the car’s glove box, according to the allegations, turned up numerous items including a canvas bag bearing the name Clarity HD, and inside of it was a working scale, two smoking devices and a rubber container with brown tar.

Also found in the glove box were two “balls” of heroin strewn freely and two more small balls in foil inside an empty pack of Marlboro cigarettes.

The documents state that Maurer is the only one of the two who had cigarettes during the stop and they were the same type, and that he possessed a Clarity speaker that went with the canvas bag.

The amount of heroin seized isn’t mentioned in the documents, only that Pinotti had estimated to an officer that a quarter ounce was purchased, with a $400 wholesale or a $700 street value.

Police also seized cell phones and a moderate amount of cash from each man, according to the documents.

In appealing for a lesser bail for Maurer, defense attorney Joely O’Rourke noted to the judge that while he had a bit of criminal history, his warrant history was very minimal.

Maurer’s trial is scheduled for the week of March 9. Pinotti is scheduled to be back in court on Thursday to set his trial date.

Both remain in the Lewis County Jail.
•••

For background, read :

• “Prosecutor: Pinotti caught with heroin this summer, and again recently” from Friday January 9, 2015, here

• “Sentence: Six days in jail for escape that led to gunfire in Centralia” from Wednesday January 14, 2015, here

Items too close to a wood stove ignited a shop and guest house in Winlock overnight, while the cause of a Grand Mound residential fire is not yet known. / Courtesy photo by Derrick Paul

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 2-year-old child was taken to the hospital last night after fire broke out in a home in Grand Mound.

Firefighters called about 10:15 p.m. to a mobile home park in the 7100 block of 191st Avenue Southwest found flames coming out two of the windows, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

“They did a quick knock down but there was still substantial fire, heat and smoke damage to the rest of the (mobile) home,” Fire Chief Robert Scott said.

Crews revived a small dog but the family lost several other pets inside, according to Scott.

The fire’s cause is not yet known, but a cluster of fires in recent days have all been related to heating sources.

Scott said the toddler had slight burns and suffered from smoke inhalation. The child was evaluated by medical personnel and transported by private vehicle to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to WTRFA.

Twenty firefighters from three fire departments battled the blaze and some were on the scene into the early morning hours, according to Scott. He said the family was offered the Red Cross for assistance but for now are staying with a friend in the area.

An investigator was going to be out there today to figure out what caused it, according to Scott.

In Lewis County, an investigator today concluded an overnight fire in Winlock was caused by items too close to a wood stove.

It’s the third time in three days with a similar finding in Lewis County; combustibles too close to a heat source, according to Investigator Derrick Paul.

It’s an important issue for the public to consider, according to Paul.

“Three in three days is too much, as far as I’m concerned,” Paul said. “In these cases it just happened to be wood stoves, but it can happen with baseboard heaters, or space heaters or similar.”

The early morning blaze on Quary Lane north of Winlock did an estimated $110,000 damage.

Firefighters responding about 2 a.m. from Lewis County Fire District 15 and two neighboring districts found a fully furnished guest house and adjoining shop burning, according to Paul.

He said they did a good job extinguishing it in a timely manner but the building and its contents were a complete loss. Also damaged were a travel trailer and a utility trailer parked outside next the approximately 70 foot by 40 foot building, according to Paul.

The owner was working in the shop the evening before, which contained the wood stove, Paul said.

“The cause of the fire was a direct result of combustible items too close to a working wood stove,” Paul indicated this morning.

These fire victims were insured, but the owners of the decimated building he investigated on Friday east of Napavine were not, according to Paul.

The loss to Fire Mountain Farms loss at the 300 block of state Route 508 is estimated at $1.8 million.

The third fire was in Randle, where a little cabin used for storage was destroyed yesterday morning.

It was just a little more than a week ago when the state fire marshal issued a warning to the public, related to home heating sources during the winter and fires around the state.

Four people were killed in two recent residential fires fires caused by portable electric space heaters, according to Deputy State Fire Marshal Lysandra Davis.

Given that the cold winer months are the peak time for such incidents, the fire marshall offered safety tips directed at space heater use.

• Ensure the heater is placed on a stable, level surface, and located where it will not be knocked over.
• Never power the heater with an extension cord or power strip.
• Keep combustible material such as beds, sofas, curtains, papers and clothes at least three feet from the front, sides and rear of the heater.
• Be sure the heater plug fits tightly into the wall outlet. If not, do not use the outlet to power the heater.
• Never operate a heater you suspect is damaged. Before use, inspect the heater, cord, and plug for damage. Follow all operation and maintenance instructions.
• Never leave the heater operating while unattended or while you are sleeping.
• During use, check frequently to determine if the heater plug or cord, wall outlet, or faceplate is hot. If the plug, outlet or faceplate is hot, discontinue use of the heater, and have a qualified electrician check and/or replace the plug or faulty wall outlet(s). If the cord is hot, disconnect the heater, and have it inspected/repaired by an authorized repair person.
• Lastly, make sure you always have working smoke alarms installed in your home.

To learn more about winter fire safety visit the U.S. Fire Administration website at: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/winter.html

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A fire broke out this morning in Randle, in a little cabin used for storage.

Firefighters responding about 5:45 a.m. to the 1100 block of Silverbrook Road extinguished the blaze, but it was a total loss, according to Lewis County Fire District 14.

Nobody was hurt, and its owner’s nearby home was unharmed, according to Fire Chief Jeff Jaques.

Jaques said the structure contained shop-type items.

A fire investigator was going to be checking it out this morning, according to the chief.

Flames rise from commercial structure on the 300 block of state Route 508, just east of Interstate 5.

Updated at 1:56 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A fire last night just east of Napavine is estimated to have caused a loss of property in excess of $1 million for a Lewis County business that specializes in recycling wastewater treatment plant biosolids for fertilizer.

Fire Mountain Farms, a family business, also raises cattle.

“Luckily our cow operation is up on Burnt Ridge,” Ryan Thode, vice president of operations said this morning.

Thode this morning was at the facility on the 300 block of state Route 508, having spent the past several hours watching for hot spots and salvaging what he could, he said. The fire department left around 4 a.m., he said.

Firefighters called just before 8 p.m. last night arrived to find the large metal building filled with flames, according to the newly named Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue; formerly Lewis County Fire District 5.

A department spokesperson in a news release said the structure and contents are considered a complete loss.

Spokesperson Lt. Laura Hanson indicated no one was injured.

Twenty personnel from their department and five neighboring agencies battled the blaze, according to Hanson. Initial reports to the sheriff’s office indicated a gas pipeline nearby was involved or threatened, but a deputy determined that wasn’t the case, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

While numerous ordinary shop items inside caused explosions – propane and welding tanks, an air compressor – what took the longest was dealing with the hay, Fire Chief Gregg Peterson said.

An excavator was used to retrieve each bail one by one, and break it up while firefighters sprayed it down, he said.

The business owners were not present at the time of the fire, according to Hanson. A fire investigator and the sheriff’s office are looking into the cause.

The building is described as 150 feet by 40 feet, with a lean-to attached shed on the back and a loft area.

It contained farm equipment and fabrication tools, among them were dredgers the company uses to dredge treatment plant lagoons.

“Unfortunately, we had all three stored in there,” Thode said.

Thode estimated they had around 500 bales of hay inside, for sale, and tons of barley which would have fed their own animals.

He, his father and mother also lost eight motorcycles, he said. He said he was able to salvage one replica Indian sidecar.

Tyler C. Abair is accompanied by his lawyer Shane O’Rourke in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Napavine area father accused of shaking his 4-month-old daughter, causing a bruised brain pleaded guilty yesterday to a much lesser offense than originally charged with.

Prosecutors concluded the evidence didn’t show that Tyler C. Abair committed first-degree assault, and he pleaded guilty to third-degree assault instead.

“In this particular case, the child has recovered,” Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead said.

Abair was arrested last spring, a month after an incident in which he said the infant choked on formula and stopped breathing. He acknowledged that he shook her, but also that he was terrified and didn’t know CPR, according to court documents.

Court documents referenced a doctor who indicated the child exhibited classic but not severe signs of Shaken Baby Syndrome.

The 23-year-old was living with his ex-wife with whom he was reconciling, and their twins, staying at home caring for them while she worked.

Halstead said Abair’s actions were negligent, but lacked intent to harm the baby; the difference between the two offenses.

Halstead noted to the judge yesterday afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court that a workup on the other twin left them believing the hemorrhaging came from birth.

Abair was represented by defense attorney Shane O’Rourke

Abair also pleaded guilty to second-degree theft, for separate conduct that was not previously charged.

Halstead told the judge they wanted to do the sentencing on another day, so the child’s mother could attend the hearing.

When he is sentenced Jan. 28, he faces a standard sentencing range of 12 to 16 months, according to O’Rourke.

Abair was arrested on May 6, 2014, and remains in the Lewis County Jail.
•••

For background, read “High bail ordered for Chehalis dad in shaken baby case ” from Wednesday May 7, 2014, here