Lewis County Sirens.com

BIG OOPS

• A 24-year-old Centralia man is jailed after he reportedly nearly crashed head-on into a patrol vehicle and was found to be in possession of cocaine. It happened around 11 p.m. on Friday at Woodland and Alder streets in Centralia, according to police. Francisco Lopez-Sosa was arrested for the drug offense and also on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Centralia Police Department.

THEFT, THEFT, THEFT

• Police arrested  a 24-year-old homeless person last night for allegedly stealing an expensive cell phone and attempting to sell it.  Justin B. Bedortha was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree theft in connection with the 10:45 p.m. events associated with the 400 block of Plum Street in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police were contacted very early yesterday morning by an individual who saw an item stolen from them posted for sale on Facebook. The case is still under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police took a report on Friday of four storage units being burglarized at the 600 block of North Gold Street. Exactly what is missing has not been compiled, according to the Centralia Police Department.

SMOKE IN APARTMENT BUILDING NOT A FIRE

• Firefighters responding to a report of fire at the apartments above the El Amigo nightclub downtown Centralia on Friday night found that someone had thrown smoke bombs down the hallway. The approximately 11:25 p.m. incident at the 300 block of North Tower Avenue included fire crackers, filled the hallways with smoke and set off the fire alarms, according to responders. The damage was limited to scorch marks, according to Riverside Fire Authority. Police arrested a 34-year-old woman for reckless endangerment. Elizabeth K. Byrd, of Tacoma, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

COLLISION

• One woman was hospitalized after a single-vehicle crash last night alongside Interstate 5 in Centralia. Firefighters called about 9 p.m. found the wrecked car against the fence at the Centralia Outlets near the Harrison Avenue interchange. “She was coming down the freeway offramp, I don’t know how many times she rolled,” Firefighter Karl VonBargen said. Responders stabilized her neck with a “C-collar”, put her on a backboard and she was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, VonBargen said. Nobody else was in the vehicle, he said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, failure to transfer vehicle title; responses for misdemeanor theft, collisions on city streets … and more.

Updated

OUT-OF-CONTROL CAMPFIRE BURNS TRANSIENT

• A homeless man was treated for burned hands after his campfire destroyed his tent and all his belongings, and spread to nearby brush and trees next to the freeway at LaBree and Bishop roads south of Chehalis last night. Three fire departments responded to the approximately 11:35 p.m. call from the 52-year-old man described as transient. He said there were flames rising 25 feet high, Lewis County Fire District 6 Chief Tim Kinder said. More than 1,000 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire near the northbound onramp to Interstate 5, according to District 6. “He got lucky,” Firefighter Mike Goodwillie said. “He had melted plastic all over his collar, but not on his neck.” Lewis County Sheriff’s Office detective Sgt. Dusty Breen said Larry G. Bailey, from the Chehalis area, was cited for reckless burning and that the fire potentially threatened a nearby shop building. Bailey was transported by aid for medical attention, for burns that were minor, according to Breen.

MOTOR MISSING

• Someone stole a battery charger and an outboard motor from a boat on the 2400 block of Howard Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 8 a.m. yesterday.

SHEDS BURGLED

• Centralia police were called about 8:20 p.m. yesterday about a burglary to a shed at the 800 block of South Tower Avenue.

• Centralia police were called about 9 a.m. yesterday to the 1700 block of Cooks Hill Road regarding a shed that was broken into. Two CD players were missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

STOLEN MAIL

• Chehalis police were called just before noon yesterday about mail getting stolen from two mailboxes on the 500 block of Southwest 18th Street. The victim told police it was a reoccurring problem, but no fraudulent activity had been discovered on any of her accounts, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

COOKING FIRE

• Chehalis firefighters were called yesterday afternoon to an apartment building on Southeast Washington Avenue near Third Street where the third floor was filling up with smoke. A resident had fallen asleep while cooking rice, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. She woke up, turned off the stove and put the pan in the sink, Fire Capt. Casey Beck said. The crew helped her air out her apartment and get her smoke alarm working, Beck said.

CRIME STOPPERS

• Lewis County Crime Stoppers is looking for information about a truck stolen on September 1 from a driveway at the 1900 block of Taylor Street in Centralia that contained a handgun. It happened sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 7 a.m., according to Crime Stoppers. Missing is a 2003 Toyota Tundra and a Sterling 380 pistol. The license plates is B62022W.  The loss is reported as more than $6,400.  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 or information may be shared online at www.lewiscountycrimestoppers.org

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, dispute, hit and run, misdemeanor theft, collision on city street, request by a stranded person for help finding shelter … and more.

Updated at 2:32 p.m.

SCHOOL BUS FIRE

• As many as a half dozen elementary school children were evacuated from a bus this morning when its heater caught fire in Winlock. Nobody was injured. Firefighters and deputies responded to the 500 block of North Military Road about 7:40 a.m. and discovered the fire had essentially burned itself out, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said it is believed dust, dirt particles or some other debris ignited in the heater.

NEAR MISS BETWEEN SCHOOL BUS, DUMP TRUCK

• A 1975 Kenworth dump truck went sideways in the road and came to rest in a ditch when it came around a curve upon a school bus dropping off a child yesterday in the Boistfort Valley. The truck missed the bus which was carrying children just before 3 p.m., according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the 35-year-old Centralia man was traveling too fast along the 500 block of Boistfort Road as he approached a sign that stated, “School Bus Stop Ahead.” Nobody was injured and the driver was cited for wheels off the roadway Brown said. The truck – one of the brakes of which was found out of adjustment – was taken out of service, according to Brown.

RESIDENTIAL FIRE IN ONALASKA

• Fire broke out in a manufactured home in Onalaska yesterday at about 3:30 p.m. on the 200 block of Leonard Road. Fire Investigator Ted McCarty said the damage was limited to the electric furnace and its closet. McCarty said he’s uncertain of the cause. The resident’s power had been off the day before and they said they noticed a real odd sound when it came back on, he said. But also, it’s possible mice had chewed into wiring causing the issue, he said.

COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE IN CENTRALIA

• Firefighters were called about 3:45 a.m. today when fire broke out at a wood mill at the end of Central Boulevard in Centralia. Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Casey McCarthy said workers said they saw flames showing about four-feet high. Sawdust ignited in one of the bag houses, McCarthy said. “We ended up being able to contain it to the one hopper,” McCarthy said. Crews were on the scene for about two hours, he said.

DUMPSTER FIRE IN ALLEY

• Police and firefighters both responded about 8:15 p.m. yesterday when a passerby discovered the contents of a dumpster burning in an alley behind a Centralia tavern. Part of the fence belonging to Bub’s Pub on the 500 block of North Tower Avenue burned, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The incident is being labeled suspicious.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLE BURNS IN MOSSYROCK

• A 35- 40-foot long motorhome was destroyed by fire on Tuesday evening north of Mossyrock, likely related to the power outage, according to Lewis County Fire District 3. Fire Chief Doug Fosburg said the responded about 6:30 p.m. to the blaze on Skyview Drive off Birley Road and found the recreational vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Nobody was hurt and they managed to prevent a nearby pump house and a 100-gallon propane tank less than 10 feet away from igniting, Fosburg said. The RV was designed so when the electricity is shut off, it automatically switches over the propane to keep its refrigerator running, he said, and they suspect something went wrong during that process.

SCAMMED

• A 71-year-old Chehalis resident called police yesterday after discovering the more than $1,100 she’d wired to a missionary friend in Istanbul, Turkey actually went to an impostor. The victim of the scam told police she’d received an email from a friend, a real person that she knows, who said they needed cash, so she sent the money via Western Union, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AUTO THEFT

• Someone stole a 1991 Dodge Dakota pickup truck from Southwest Seventh Street near Market Boulevard in Chehalis sometime between Monday and yesterday. The vehicle was primer black in color, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Two guns were stolen from an unlocked vehicle parked at the Motel 6 in Centralia yesterday. An officer called about 9:30 p.m. to the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue learned the two men in their 20s from Centralia and Winlock had been visiting a guest and discovered the firearms were taken from their pickup truck, according to the Centralia Police Department. Missing is a Mossberg 20-gauge shotgun and a Mossberg 22 caliber rifle, according to police.

• Centralia police were called about 8 o’clock yesterday morning to the 1000 block of South Pearl Street where someone had stolen a backpack from an unlocked car.

OTHER THEFT

• Police and aid were called about 7:45 p.m. yesterday to Wal-Mart in Chehalis where a 38-year-old woman was found passed out in the restroom after reportedly huffing on an aerosol container from the store shelves. The woman faces a possible charge of misdemeanor theft, but wasn’t arrested because she was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

SOLICITING PROSTITUTION

• Chehalis police followed up on a report from Monday night in which a pizza delivery person said when he brought pizza to a motel on the 200 block of Interstate Avenue, the customer offered money in exchange for sex. When an officer went to speak to the customer, he had already checked out, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, dispute, harassment, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, collisions on city streets … and more.

Updated at 5:28 p.m.

POLICE: REBUFFED CELL PHONE SELLER ATTACKS WOMEN

• A meet-up in a Chehalis parking lot following an internet offer of the sale of two cell phones got violent yesterday when the buyers decided the merchandise was substandard. Police were called about 4:40 p.m. to Rite Aid on the 500 block of South Market Boulevard. Detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said the 23-year-old Chehalis woman and 28-year-old Centralia woman told the seller they changed their mind because a screen was cracked or something. Then an argument ensued about the man traveling all the way to meet them and he reportedly pulled out a collapsible baton and struck one of them, and threatened to stab them with a pocket knife, Wilson said. The women left and called police from home, according to Wilson. One of them ended up with a minor cut on her hand, he said. The suspect was picked up a few hours later by a Thurston County deputy and booked into the Lewis County Jail  for second-degree assault, according to WIlson. The suspect, Anthony A. Caldwell, 57, is from Olympia and described as transient, he said.

SHOPLIFTING INCIDENT TURNS SCAREY

• A Centralia convenience store clerk who tried to retrieve a stolen six-pack of beer from a shoplifter yesterday found herself threatened with a knife, according to police. Officers called about 6:25 p.m. to Apex on the 400 block of West Main Street learned the 50-year-old woman followed the man out of the business and confronted him several blocks away, pleading with him to give the beer back, according to the Centralia Police Department. He pulled a knife and began walking towards the clerk, and then she fled, according to police. The man left. A 26-year-old man described as transient from California was subsequently arrested for first-degree robbery, Sgt. Kurt Reichert said. Officer called around 4:30 a.m. to a disturbance at or near Dennys on the 1000 block of Harrison Avenue contacted that subject and concluded he resembled the surveillance image from Apex, Reichert said. Mathew T. Gonzalez was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to Reichert.

UNRULY HOSPITAL VISITOR JAILED

• A 27-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for third-degree assault after allegedly trying to slap and strike security guards who were escorting her out of Providence Centralia Hospital yesterday evening. Officers called to the 900 block of South Schueber Road about 7:45 p.m. learned she was visiting a patient and asked to leave because she was being disruptive. Sherene R. Cluzel, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AUTO THEFT

• A 1991 Honda station wagon was stolen from Shaeffer Park north of Centralia after its owner had mechanical trouble and left it there, locked but with the keys in the ignition. A deputy called about 1 a.m. yesterday to the 800 block of state Route 507 was told the car was worth $1,000, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

TOO MUCH SKIN

• A 37-year-old Centralia man was arrested last night for allegedly exposing himself in the parking lot of the train station in Centralia. Officers responding about 9:25 p.m. to the 200 block of North Railroad Avenue booked Charles R. Simpson into the Lewis County Jail for indecent exposure and also possession of methamphetamine, according to the Centralia Police Department.

TRUCK VERSUS DEER

• A 37-year-old Chehalis man escaped serious injury but totaled his pickup truck when he swerved to miss a deer yesterday on Centralia-Alpha Road west of Chehalis. A deputy called about 5:40 p.m. to milepost 15 found the 1992 Ford F250 in the ditch and the deer underneath it, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The driver complained a headache, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, misdemeanor assault, underage possession of marijuana; responses for alarm, dispute, shoplifting, collisions on city streets and county roads; complaint of smell of marijuana from neighboring apartment … and more.

DRUGS

• Centralia police took a report about 1 p.m. yesterday from the 1000 block of South Tower Avenue regarding the theft of medications.

• A 44-year-old Centralia man was arrested for possession of methamphetamine after contact with police on the 1200 block of Alder Street at about 5:15 p.m. yesterday. Timothy P. McCann was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault, protection order violation; responses for collisions on city streets … and more.

Updated at 7:12 p.m.

CHEHALIS WOMAN SCARES BURGLAR AWAY

• Deputies were called about 12:05 a.m. today to the 400 block of Yates Road south of Chehalis after a 30-year-old mother discovered a tall thin stranger wearing a ski mask and dressed all in black inside her home. She screamed and he ran out through the laundry room door, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The woman said she had been in her daughter’s bedroom trying to get her to fall asleep when she heard a voice and thought her boyfriend had returned home, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. She hid in her child’s room until law enforcement arrived and when they searched the house, they discovered in the master bedroom a safe had been opened and a Sony Playstation had been placed inside a pillow case, Brown said. Missing from the safe was about $600 cash, silver coins, a gold watch and necklace, according to Brown. The woman said she believed the intruder had gray hair and was caucasian, according to the sheriff’s office.

ACQUAINTANCE TAKES VALUABLES BY FORCE

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports this morning that last Wednesday, a deputy took a report from a 33-year-old Toledo man who said a person he knows entered his home and used physical force plus threats of further harm while demanding anything of value in the residence and left with three laptop computers. The deputy was told it happened at noon last Monday at the River Oakes RV Campground off state Route 506 west of Interstate 5, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being referred to prosecutors for a charge of robbery against the suspect, a 33-year-old man from Winlock or Cowlitz County, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said there was a second victim present during the incident and there is a second suspect involved as well who is not yet identified.

MORTON POLICE CHECK FOR INTRUDER

• Police responded to a call at a residence in the 100 block of First Street in Morton about 3:10 a.m. on Friday after the homeowner reported being awakened by a noise in the attic. Officers searched the attic, and all around the exterior of the home, however, nothing was found, according to the Morton Police Department.

TOOLS TAKEN

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports this morning they are investigating the theft of two chainsaws and a winch from a metal building on the 400 block of state Route 505 outside of Winlock that occurred sometime in the week that ended on Friday. The loss is estimated at $2,300, according to the sheriff’s office.

CAR PROWL

• Someone prowled an unlocked vehicle parked at the 100 block of West High Street in Centralia while its owner was shopping, according to a report made to police about 6:25 p.m. yesterday.

GRAFFITI

• A vehicle belonging to a business and a building at the 500 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia were discovered vandalized with graffiti early yesterday morning, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• A 65-year-old Toledo man was arrested after he allegedly stopped  a car traveling near his home and pointed a gun at the driver and her 8-year-old son on Friday night. Police were called about 8 p.m. about the incident in the area of North Fifth Street and the woman had taken off and parked near Toledo High School and turned off her headlights to hide from the man, according to authorities. Larry N. Bemrose, 65, was contacted and spoke to officers about how he was protecting his neighborhood, allegedly admitting he’d contacted a white sport utility vehicle and a Lincoln, although denying he’d confronted the woman, court papers state. The woman, Finola Erickson, told police she’d just left a relative’s house in the area of Middle Crest Road and when she came to the stop sign, a pickup truck pulled a U-turn in front of her and blocked her, according to charging documents. She said a man she’d never seen before got out, approached with a rifle and pointed it at her son who was sitting in the passenger seat, and then walked around her side of the car and pointed it at her, charging documents relate. Bemrose gave police permission to search his truck and they retrieved a long gun leaning against his passenger seat that he said was a 4-10 shotgun, the documents state. He was arrested for first-degree assault and booked into the Lewis County Jail. Bemrose, who has no criminal history was charged with the same offense today – which has a maximum penalty of life in prison – and ordered held on $100,000 bail pending trial. His arraignment is set for Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court.

COLLISION

• A 21-year-old Randle resident was reportedly uninjured but his 1991 Chevrolet Astrovan sustained major damage when it slid off the roadway and overturned along the 200 block of Silverbrook Road in Randle about 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Ethan Middleton said he did not know what happened and advised he had been drinking alcohol, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. One of six firearms located in his vehicle was loaded, so Middleton was arrested for having a loaded firearm in a vehicle as well as first-degree negligent driving, according to the sheriff’s office. He was then released, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing a public servant, teenage boy for alcohol possession, shoplifting, misdemeanor assault, protection order violation, driving with suspended license, driving under the influence; responses for alarms, disputes, misdemeanor theft, collision on city street … and more.

POLICE: INTERNAL THEFT

• A former bookkeeper for a Centralia insurance agency was arrested for first-degree theft early Thursday following an investigation that began in mid-April. David R. Gibson, 43, of Oakville, is suspected of stealing around $13,000 from Putnam Insurance on the 600 block of West Main Street over a period of time, Centralia Police Department Officer Patty Finch said. Gibson was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

HIT AND RUN

• Centralia police were called to the 800 block of North Tower Avenue about 2:50 a.m. yesterday where a man said he was was hit in the leg by a car as he attempted to cross at the intersection. The 29-year-old Centralia resident suffered an injury to his knee but declined aid, according to the Centralia Police Department. The vehicle that struck him and did not stop was described as was described as a small green or teal Cavalier with a male driver and female passenger, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police took a report about 7:15 a.m. yesterday regarding someone throwing rocks through a vehicle window overnight at the 100 block of North Iron Street.

OOPS

• Centralia police were called about 4 p.m. yesterday when a small passenger car ran into a building on the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue. Nobody was hurt and the damage to Rite-Aid was minimal, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR FIRE

• It was likely an electrical issue that sparked a fire in a car on Thursday evening as it was traveling over the northbound Kresky Avenue viaduct in Centralia, according to Riverside Fire Authority. Firefighters called about 6:50 p.m. were told by the two women they saw smoke coming from below the dashboard just before the car became disabled, according to Capt. Scott Weinert. They got out of the car and the area burst into flames, according to Weinert. The fire was extinguished without any difficulties, but the 1998 Ford Cordova was a total loss, according to the fire department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, misdemeanor assault, protection order violation, driving with suspended license, driving under the influence; responses for misdemeanor theft, report of a sexual assault … and more.