Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 6:50 p.m.

BREAK-IN NEAR NAPAVINE

• An individual who was gone from their home on the 100 block of Vernon Road northwest of Napavine for just an hour last night returned to find someone had stolen four firearms and a dozen bottles of prescription medicine, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It occurred between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., Sgt. Rob Snaza said. Missing are an Olympic Arms AR15, an Interarms 243, a Ruger 10/22 rifle and a a Rossi 20/22 “over-under”, according to the sheriff’s office.

STOLEN CAR

• Someone stole a red 1991 Toyota Corolla from where it was parked at the 600 block of Meskill Road west of Chehalis sometime between 2 o’clock yesterday morning and noon,  according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It has a license plate of 097 YTY, according to the sheriff’s office.

BEWARE OF CALLER WHO WANTS TO FIX YOUR COMPUTER

• Centralia police responded to a call from the 600 block of Scott Drive in which the resident was receiving phone calls from someone with a heavy foreign accent who claimed they could fix a windows-based problem on the individual’s computer. An officer advised it would have been a scam in which the caller was attempting to gain personal information, according to the Centralia Police Department. Sgt. Stacy Denham said one of the things officers recommend is for a person to make an attempt to independently verify the incoming phone number, and they will likely find it is not legitimate.

DRUGS

• A 39-year-old Centralia resident was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver after suspected drugs were located in a motel room with him overnight, according to the Centralia Police Department. Officers were looking for someone else when they went to the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue around 2 o’clock this morning, according to police. Travis J. Holman was booked into the lewis County Jail, according to Sgt. Stacy Denham. Also arrested and booked for possession of meth was Sean D. Cheever, Denham said.

• A former Lewis County man was arrested yesterday at the AM/PM store in Centralia for allegedly selling a quarter ounce of methamphetamine. Eugene L. Kolb, 40, Bremerton, was charged today in Lewis County Superior Court with one count of delivery of methamphetamine in connection with an alleged deal conducted in the parking lot at Safeway last month. At his bail hearing this afternoon, defense attorney Bob Schroeter told the judge the information Kolb related about his financial situation may be an illusion, as he suffered a brain injury in Iraq. His income consists of veteran’s disability payments, and as part of that, his work at IMF Bangor at Bremerton, according to Schroeter. Kolb said he earned $5,000 per month, but Schroeter thought he likely actually qualified for a court appointed attorney. Kolb has lived in Bremerton for five years, but went to high school locally and has family in Mossyrock and Morton, Schroeter said. He was released pending trial on a $10,000 unsecured bond, co-signed by a friend. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 30. His girlfriend Lisa M. Balkwill, 44, Tacoma, was charged with delivery and possession, as, according to charging documents, she was with Kolb in the Safeway parking lot and then yesterday when she was arrested, police found a small amount of methamphetamine. Her bail was set at $5,000.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Police took a report just before 8 a.m. today of a car prowl at the 1000 block of Eckerson Road in Centralia. It occurred sometime during the past two days, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE VERSUS BICYCLE

• A man on a bicycle and a van collided about 6:15 p.m. yesterday on the 2000 block of Jackson Highway in Chehalis. The victim, in his mid-40s and from Chehalis, ended up with a small abrasion on his head and leg pain, according to police. He had been traveling northbound on the west side of the roadway when the van turned into a church parking lot, police said.

TUMBLING PICKUP LANDS ON FUEL TANKER

• A 19-year-old Oakville resident escaped injury along U.S. Highway 12 near Aberdeen today when his brakes failed, he swerved and struck a curb causing his pickup to roll, landing between a semi tanker and its tanker trailer. It happened about 1 p.m. four miles east of town at Solki Road, in the parking lot of a 7-11, according to the Washington State Patrol. Neither Wyatt R. Carter, 19, from Oakville, nor the truck driver, William C. Watkins, 47, of Gig Harbor, were hurt, the state patrol reports. Trooper Russ Winger says the tanker was for fuel, and its driver was just finishing paperwork. The investigating trooper reports Carter was eastbound with traffic slowing in front of him when he couldn’t stop because of the defective brakes; his 1992 Ford Ranger landed wheels down.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants; responses for alarms, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, minor collision on city street, noisy neighbor music … and more.

Updated at 5:51 p.m.

BURGLARY

• An individual who left their Centralia home for about 20 minutes yesterday returned to discover someone had broken in and stolen jewelry. An officer was called to the residence on the 2700 block of Eureka Avenue at about 3 p.m., according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police responded yesterday about 3 p.m. to a possible burglary at an apartment on Southeast Washington Avenue but nothing appeared to be missing. A door may have been left unlocked, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

FIST FIGHT

• A Chehalis police officer took a report at Green Hill School for boys yesterday regarding a fist fight between a pair of student-inmates in which an employee trying to break it up ended up getting hit. An 18-year-old is in trouble for punching a 17-year, who is in trouble for punching the staff member in the face, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called about 1:15 p.m. yesterday to a parking lot at the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia when an individual found someone had taken a purse from an unlocked vehicle. They didn’t actually observe him take it, but a possible suspect is a male in his mid-20s wearing a green hoody who had been standing near the vehicle and then took off southbound, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police responding yesterday to a vehicle prowl at the 800 block of Southwest 21st Street in Chehalis learned someone stole power tools from the back of a pickup truck sometime between 10 p.m. the night before and 8 o’clock that morning, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The loss is about $1,500, according to police.

DISORDERLINESS

• A 42-year-old Centralia man was arrested yesterday after he was contacted walking up the middle of Maple Street apparently intoxicated and refused to talk with an arriving officer. Police Sgt. Stacy Denham said Paul L. Ramirez was heading towards Tower Avenue. “Not on the side, or on the shoulder, but right down the centerline,” Denham said. Ramirez was belligerent and wouldn’t identify himself so he  was booked into the Lewis County Jail for obstruction, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• Chehalis police are investigating the possession of a small amount of suspected marijuana by a 14-year-old student at Chehalis Middle School, following a call yesterday afternoon.

COLLISIONS

• A 64-year-old driver escaped injury when he swerved to miss a herd of elk last night in Packwood and slammed into a tree. A deputy called about 10:30 p.m. to mile marker one on  Cannon Road noted major front end damage to the man’s 2014 Honda Pilot, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• The roadway was closed only briefly on U.S. Highway 12 east of Rochester yesterday after a log truck driver apparently lost consciousness and his loaded vehicle left the roadway, rolling onto its side. Aid responding to the approximately 12:10 p.m. accident near Hilt Street extricated the 57-year-old man from Randle and transported him to Providence St. Peter Hospital as a precautionary measure, according to responders. “We’re just very thankful he went to the right and not to the left into the oncoming lane,” Washington State Patrol Trooper Guy Gill said. The truck hit a guard rail and ran into the embankment for the railroad tracks and trees, leaving it with substantial damage, Gill said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrant, misdemeanor  assault, driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, suspicious circumstances, minor collision on city street, rear-end collision on county road, parking lot hit and run … and more.

U.S. Highway 12 near Hilt Street in Rochester. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol Trooper

DOMESTIC INCIDENT

• A 32-year-old Toledo man was arrested yesterday after a deputy responding to a dispute learned the argument came about because he allegedly had put some prescription medication into his wife’s drink earlier. It was an anti-anxiety medication, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The couple had been drinking, Sgt. Rob Snaza said. Following the approximately 4:30 p.m. call to the 800 block of Spencer Road, the man was booked into the Lewis County Jail for delivery of a controlled substance, according to Snaza. The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office however, declined to file the felony charge and he is scheduled to be released.

MISSING VEHICLE FOUND

• A vehicle stolen from Lakewood turned up at the 500 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia yesterday morning, according to the Centralia Police Department. It was returned to its owner, according to police.

BOWS STOLEN

• A deputy responded about 10:30 a.m. yesterday to a report of a burglary to a shop building at the 100 block of Allman Road near Winlock. The 49-year-old victim said someone got inside and stole two compound bows, one a Matthews brand and the other a Reflex brand, sometime since 4:30 a.m., according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loss is estimated at $700, according to the sheriff’s office.

“PUBLIC ASSIST”

• Chehalis police responded about 11:35 a.m. yesterday to a convenience store on the 600 block of West Main Street about a woman drinking beer in the parking lot. It was the fifth call during the shift about the individual who has been hallucinating and not making any sense, according to police. The 41-year-old woman from Olympia had previously declined an offer to be taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation but this time she was told she could go voluntarily or the officer could make her go, police said. She agreed and was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, Officer Linda Bailey said.

COLLISION

• A 25-year-old Winlock resident was booked into the Lewis County Jail last night for driving under the influence after she wrecked her car along the 600 block of Shorey Road outside Chehalis. A deputy learned that about 5 p.m., a Chevrolet Lumina had traveled from Wal-Mart, along Louisiana Avenue toward Newaukum Drive and at one point drove through a yard and at another point nearly struck vehicle head on, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Carly Ridley’s car was described as totaled after it went off the road, and she sustained minor cuts to her head, according to the sheriff’s office. She was treated at Providence Centralia and then taken to the jail, Sg. Rob Snaza said.

CHEHALIS OVERPASS REPAIRS WILL CLOSE NORTHBOUND I-5 AGAIN

• Nighttime drivers will encounter a third and final full closure of northbound Interstate 5 at 13th Street in Chehalis on Friday, as crews return to remove concrete forms and complete touchup work on the damaged overpass. The repair work follows a Dec. 31 incident in which part of an oversized load struck the bridge where it crosses over the freeway. Drivers will be re-routed using the on and off ramps between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, possibly misdemeanor theft, possible violation of protection order, collision on city street, car into a ditch on a county road … and more.

Updated at 8:37 p.m.

ADULT SON SUSPECTED OF DIPPING INTO BANK ACCOUNT

• A 51-year-old Morton resident was arrested for allegedly taking more than $8,000 from his father’s bank account. Police last week investigating the case involving the forgery of checks and Sterling Savings Bank in Morton on Friday booked Darryl D. DeVore into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree theft, according to the Morton Police Department.

ARGUMENT BETWEEN NEIGHBORS GETS UGLY

• A 28-year-old man is jailed after a fight which reportedly began when he showed up to the alley behind his Centralia neighbor’s house holding a knife and yelling for an acquaintance to come out. When the female’s boyfriend confronted Anthony E. F. Spencer, Spencer allegedly advanced toward him and was punched in the face, according to charging documents.  Police responding about 11:20 p.m. on Friday to the 1400 block of Oxford Avenue arrested Spencer for second-degree assault and possession of a controlled substance and booked him into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department. Eighteen Oxycodone pills were found in his pants pocket, charging documents state. He was charged today with those two offenses and bail was set at $25,000.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY

• A Centralia resident called 911 about 4:30 a.m. yesterday after hearing someone trying to break through his back door. Deputies responding to the 100 block of Union Avenue learned the 57-year-old was in his kitchen and yelled, prompting the subject to flee, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement checked the area but didn’t find anyone, Sgt. Rob Snaza said.

HOT WHEELS

• Chehalis police responding about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday to the 1400 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis where a passenger in a car said he took the keys because the driver was driving crazy ended up arresting the driver for possession of a stolen vehicle. Curtis L. Pappan, 42, from Moclips, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Aberdeen, police said. A search of the car turned up items such as green leafy material, drug paraphernalia and pills in side a case, Officer Linda Bailey said.

NOT HOT WHEELS

• Centralia police were called about 10:30 p.m. on Friday regarding a 2006 Honda Civic hybrid car stolen from the 1800 block of North Pearl Street, However, by morning, officers learned an apartment manager there had the car impounded and towed away, according to the Centralia Police Department.

‘I HEARD AN EXPLOSION IN CHEHALIS’

• The sound of an explosion in Chehalis on Saturday night brought police to the area of Southwest Salsbury Avenue and 22nd Street where a melted plastic Pepsi bottle was collected for examination. It happened about 11 p.m., according to the Chehalis Police Department.

BURGLARY NEAR PE ELL

• A deputy was called yesterday to a residential burglary at the 100 block of Mauerman Road North west of Chehalis in which binoculars, cameras and fishing gear were among the valuables stolen. It happened sometime during the previous week, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loss is estimated at more than $800, according to the sheriff’s office.

BURGLARY NEAR CHEHALIS

• A deputy responded about 11 a.m. on Saturday to the 100 block of Terra Bonita Drive outside Chehalis following the discovery of a residential burglary in which approximately $2,000 worth of valuables were stolen. Among the items taken sometime after 1 o’clock that morning were a smoker, a Blu-ray system and several knives, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

BURGLARY NEAR ROCHESTER

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that several toy cannons were taken from a shop building at the 1200 block of Lincoln Creek Road west of Centralia sometime between Wednesday and Friday. The loss is listed at about $1,000, according to the sheriff’ office.

BURGLARY NEAR CHEHALIS

• Sometime between Friday and Saturday, someone entered a detached shop at the 1600 block of Rice Road in Chehalis and removed a radiator belonging to a 1972 Chevrolet Blazer, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

TEEN ARRESTED FOR STOLEN FIREARMS

• Centralia police reported yesterday that a 16-year-old boy was arrested during an investigation into two stolen pistols that began late Friday night at the 1100 block of Long Road in Centralia. The teen relative of the victim was booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center for first-degree burglary and theft of a firearm, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• A 27-year-old Centralia resident was arrested about 9 a.m. on Friday at the 500 block of Hunt Street in Centralia for possession of heroin and methamphetamine. Christian D. Brown, who was also wanted for numerous warrants, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department. A 17-year-old boy who was with Christian was also arrested for a warrant, according to police. The investigation was still continuing, police reported on Saturday.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police took a report on Friday afternoon from the 800 block of Northwest Hood Place regarding the discovery of the driver’s side window broken out of a pickup parked in a carport.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE: SEX CRIME

• A former Adna area resident was brought before a judge today to face allegations he molested a younger relative when they lived together following the December 2007 flood. Edward J. Guenther, now 23, was extradited from Virginia where he is is serving in the U.S. Navy. The girl, now 14 who has moved away, described instances in which Guenther fondled her and once raped her, according to charging documents. Guenther who was jailed on Friday is on indefinite leave from the service, defense attorney Bob Schroeter told a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court. The girl told a detective it began when he was 17 and she was 9 and occurred over a two-year period, according to charging documents. Charges were filed in December of one count of first-degree child molestation and one count of first-degree child rape. His bail was set at $50,000. Guenther’s arraignment was set for Thursday.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, misdemeanor assault, violation of protection order; responses for alarms, disorderly person, shoplifting and other misdemeanor theft, minor collision on city street, parking lot hit and run, something spray painted on a bus stop shelter, stolen BMX bicycle, found BMX bicycle … and more.

Updated at 7:30 p.m.

CHEHALIS BURGLARY SUSPECT FOUND IN CENTRALIA

• A 26-year-old Chehalis man was arrested yesterday evening not long after a burglary on the 1900 block of South Schueber Road outside Chehalis. The 72-year-old resident discovered the break-in about 4 p.m. and found that someone had not only stolen jewelry, a laptop computer and a drill, but her 2003 Ford F150 pickup was gone, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. While deputies were investigating, a family member spotted the vehicle parked in a driveway on the 1800 block of Military Road in Centralia, according to the sheriff’s office. Arriving law enforcement officers asked who it belonged to and someone pointed out Brandon D. Woody, Sgt. Rob Snaza said. Woody was booked into the Lewis County Jail and subsequently charged with theft of a motor vehicle and residential burglary. The items were all recovered, Snaza said. Bail was set at $25,000 for the unemployed former Kelso resident pending trial.

NO PRIZE FOR CENTRALIA RESIDENT

• Centralia police took a report yesterday from the 2400 block of Leisure Lane regarding an individual who was tricked into sending money – supposedly for the taxes – to claim a car they were told they won. It started with a phone call to the victim, according to the Centralia Police Department.

SHOPLIFT TURNS INTO FELONY

• A pair of 43-year-olds from Winlock were arrested at Wal-Mart last night after they allegedly took a Rug Doctor from the store, put it in a cart and presented it to customer service for a refund. An officer called about 7:25 p.m. to the retailer on the 1600 block of Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis learned the couple was given a gift card, instead of cash, and booked Tamrick A. Torres and Donna L. Volk into the Lewis County Jail for unlawful factoring of a transaction, a class C felony, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The amount is listed at $398. They were each charged with the same offense and released on $5,000 signature bonds pending trial.

SEX CRIME

• A local contractor who bought The Curtis Store after the devastating flood of 2007 was arrested yesterday for an alleged sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Benjamin E. Hearn, 35, was arrested after an investigation that began on Tuesday about alleged events that began in 2012, according to charges filed today in Lewis County Superior Court. He is charged with third-degree rape of a child, a class C felony. When he went before a judge this afternoon, his bail was set at a $25,000 signature bond co-signed by a relative. Judge Richard Brosey forbade Hearn to do any “Facebooking” about the alleged victim, and said if he sees any denigrating of her by anyone in Hearn’s family, Hearn may find himself back in custody. His arraignment was set for Jan. 23.

COLLISION

• A pedestrian was struck by the front passenger corner of a pickup truck turning left onto South Market Boulevard in Chehalis yesterday evening when she stepped off the curb to cross the street. Police and aid called to the scene at Sixth Street about 5:45 p.m. said it was dark and the driver didn’t see her. The 56-year-old Chehalis woman was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital and then transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for a brain contusion, according to responders. It was a fairly low speed impact, according to the fire department. The 31-year-old driver from Chehalis had a green light and she had “walk” signal, according to the Chehalis Police Department. He was cited, police said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, non-injury collisions … and more.

Updated at 6:26 p.m.

300 POUND NUDE DUDE GETS AWAY

• It was the middle of the night in Morton when two officers pulled over an erratically driven vehicle. As the driver began to get out of his car, Deputy Susan Shannon noticed he was entirely nude. He said, he just wanted to stop and say hello, and that he had to go home now. An attempt to get him to stick around with a Taser failed to connect. The man got back in the vehicle, put it in gear and drove off, blowing through a stop sign at 40 mph and then heading east on U.S. Highway 12. With emergency lights flashing, both in marked patrol cars, Shannon and Morton Police Officer Perry Royale pursued the naked motorist at speeds up to 80 mph toward White Pass, but finally gave up for safety reasons. Since they knew he lived in Yakima, they figured he was probably headed home. So say the charging documents that were filed after the August 17th event. The man believed to be the unclothed driver appeared in Lewis County Superior Court yesterday, where his lawyer asked for a continuance. Sam Groberg told the judge he finally got a chance to sit down and discuss the case, and some of its odd facts, with his client earlier in the day. “I think it would be beneficial for him to talk to someone, such as Dr. Trowbridge,” Groberg said, referencing a state psychiatrist. “You mean, you’re wondering about his mental state, at the time this allegedly occurred?” the judge asked. Yes, was the response. Joshua L. Hunter, who is free on bail, is charged with one count of attempting to elude. The 40-year-old Yakima resident, whose information lists him at 6-feet 5-inches tall and 300 pounds, was identified by the deputy through his vehicle registration and a photo on his driver’s license. Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Eric Eisenberg had no objection to postponing the trial. “It’s apparent this is a plausible defense,” he said. The matter was rescheduled for April.

CAR PROWL BIG AND SMALL

• Someone broke into a vehicle on the 800 block of Hillburger Road west of Chehalis and stole a tool valued at more than $18,000, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The item, a locator used to identify utility lines in construction areas, was taken sometime between 6 p.m. on Tuesday and 6:30 a.m. yesterday, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A deputy was called about 4 p.m. yesterday to the 900 block of Shorey Road west of Chehalis where about $300 worth of tools including a Dewalt drill were stolen from a vehicle.

• Someone entered an unlocked vehicle and took a small amount of change and cigarettes at the 1100 block of Creekside Court in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday.

EMPLOYEE THEFT

• An officer was called to a business on the 1600 block of Louisiana Avenue about 2 p.m. yesterday regarding suspected theft by an employee involving falsified transactions of more than $2,500, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The case was referred to prosecutors to consider a charge of second-degree theft, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

PHONE THEFTS

• Centralia police responded about 7:30 a.m. today to the ATT store on the 1200 block of Lum Road to a report two males had smashed a window and stole several several cell phones on display. The case is still under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Yesterday afternoon, an officer took a report of two cell phones stolen from a business on the 1100 block of Johnson Road in Centralia.

OTHER THEFT

• Chehalis police were contacted yesterday morning about a steam cleaner stolen from inside a gated area on the 500 block of West Main Street.

• Someone stole a portable propane tank from the 400 block of Centralia College Boulevard sometime between 6:30 a.m. yesterday and about 2 p.m., according to the Centralia Police Department.

ARREST FOR GIVING FALSE NAME

• A 23-year-old Centralia man was jailed following a stop for a traffic violation yesterday afternoon on Mellen Street when an officer concluded the documents he identified himself with were falsified, according to police. Centralia police say Ricardo Perez-Ramirez had a suspended license and an outstanding warrant. The photo was of him, but he said the name on the documents belonged to his uncle in Mexico, Sgt. Stacy Denham said. Perez-Ramirez was booked into the Lewis County Jail for identity theft, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DOMESTIC INCIDENT

• A 23-year-old Chehalis resident was arrested for misdemeanor assault after a woman called 911 last night to report her son pushed her against the wall, trying to “get the demons out of her,” according to police. An officer subsequently contacted Drake A. Lorber and booked him into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, violation of anti-harassment or protection orders, underage drinking; responses for alarms, suspicious vehicle, misdemeanor theft, minor injury collision, prescription medication that could be stolen or just misplaced, possibly stolen computer equipment, a homeless person camping out with a sleeping bag and suitcases, female either passed out or sleeping in a parking lot … and more.

The overpass at 13th Street in Chehalis over Interstate 5 after it was struck by a log loader on a trailer. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

CHEHALIS OVERPASS REPAIRS WILL CLOSE NORTHBOUND I-5

• A portion of northbound Interstate 5 at Chehalis will be closed overnight this weekend while repairs are made to the 13th Street bridge which was damaged by a too-tall load last week. Drivers will be re-routed using the on and off ramps between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. On the morning of Dec. 31, the driver of a Chehalis-based truck pulling a trailer carrying a log loader was cited after the loader struck a portion of the overpass snapping steel tension cables and knocking concrete onto the freeway, according to the Washington State Patrol. A state patrol spokespersons said the company was permitted for a load no taller than 14-feet 6-inches but inspectors subsequently measured the load at 14-feet 7-inches. Trooper Will Finn said the overpass measures at 15 feet. DOT says it has a vertical clearance of 14-feet 8-inches. The truck was escorted by front and rear pilot cars and the overhead detector about a mile to the south – which sets off both audible and visual alarms – was found to be operational, according to authorities. Truck restrictions on the overpass currently in place will be lifted after the weekend work, according to DOT. The bridge is 56 years old.

DRUGS

• Deputies ended up arresting three people early yesterday morning after a suspicious vehicle pulled into a Chehalis area driveway and then sped off when confronted. It happened about 5:20 a.m. at the 300 block of Yates Road and when the suspect vehicle was located near Jackson Highway and Logan Hill Road, it was occupied by three Yelm residents, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, Adam G. Jones, 34, had a suspended license and subsequently he and passenger, Kassandra M. Anderson, 22, were booked for possession of methamphetamine, according to the sherif’s office. Forty-two-year-old David R. Perez was also booked into the Lewis County Jail for a warrant, Sgt. Rob Snaza said.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police responded to a vehicle prowl at the 700 block of Northwest Liberty Place just before midnight, in which someone rifled through a truck containing various tools. A window was found broken  on the driver’s side and the door unlocked, according to the Chehalis Police Department. It wasn’t immediately clear what may have been taken, police said.

FRAUD

• Centralia police were contacted yesterday afternoon regarding a cell phone account opened fraudulently under the victim’s name, in connection with a location at the 600 block of North Tower Avenue.

SEX CRIME

• A 34-year-old Centralia area man turned himself yesterday in connection with an investigation that began last week of alleged sexual abuse of a young relative. A deputy was first contacted on Friday by a mother who said her teenage daughter disclosed incidents that occurred during the year that ended in September of 2012, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office was unsuccessful in its attempts to contact Rodney J. Teitzel Jr. but he turned himself in to the Lewis County Jail late last night where he was booked for second-degree child rape and molestation, according to the sheriff’s office. His bail was set at $150,000.

WRECK

• A 34-year-old Chehalis woman was taken to the hospital with neck pain following a two-car accident last night at Jackson Highway and North Fork Road south of Chehalis. Deputies responding about 8:30 p.m. concluded a Ford Escort pulled onto the roadway heading south when it was struck by the northbound Toyota Corolla. Both vehicles sustained major damage, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, violation of anti-harassment order, misdemeanor assault; responses for alarms; complaint of a woman outside for hours bugging patrons … and more.