Lewis County Sirens.com

The state patrol reports the chase up Interstate 5 ended safely. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

Updated at 8:10 p.m.

JOY RIDE BEGINS IN CHEHALIS, ENDS IN FIFE

• A 24-year-old man who picked up a set of car keys off a counter at Wendy’s restaurant in Chehalis got away with a vehicle but was stopped after high speed pursuit through Tacoma yesterday. Police called about 10:10 a.m. to the 1500 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue learned the 2008 Toyota Camry headed north on Interstate 5. After stealing the keys, the subject tried several vehicles in the lot before finding the correct one and taking off, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The 35-year-old Chehalis woman’s purse was inside her car as well, detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said. Lacey police briefly caught up with him and troopers joined in near Lakewood as speeds reached as much as 120 mph, according to law enforcement. A trooper used the so-called pit maneuver to spin the car out and make it stop in Fife shortly after 11 a.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. The driver, Victor J. Hobbs, who is tagged in the local law enforcement database as transient from Vader, was arrested without further incident, according to Chehalis police and the state patrol.

VEHICLE THEFT

• A white 12-foot utility trailer containing emergency decontamination equipment and materials was stolen from Providence Centralia Hospital, according to a report made to police about 7 a.m. yesterday. Officers called to the 900 block of South Schueber Road were told the loss is probably more than $15,000, according to the Centralia Police Department. It disappeared during the night, according to police.

• A deputy was called yesterday about a 2005 BMW stolen sometime since the day before from the 100 block of Joppish Road in Centralia. The car, valued at $10,000, has a license plate of AKJ 9351, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Centralia police responded about 10 a.m. on Saturday to a report of a vehicle stolen from the 100 block of West Third Street. The 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck was subsequently located on Ham Hill Road, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BURGLARY

• Someone broke into a building on the 600 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia and stole unspecified old military gear and other items belonging to a local collector, according to a report made to police about 7:30 p.m. yesterday.

GREEN HILL BEATING

• A student-inmate at Green Hill School for Boys in Chehalis was arrested for second-degree assault non Friday and then released back into the custody of the juvenile incarceration facility. An officer called that afternoon to the 300 block of Southwest 11th Street learned the 18-year-old had punched a 16-year-old knocking him unconscious earlier in the day, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Police also investigated a less serious assault of personnel from the same morning.

BAR FIGHT

• Police called to a dispute at a Chehalis bar around 1:50 p.m. on Sunday ended up arresting a man for shoving another man in the presence of an arriving officer. Apolinar Ruelas, 34, of Chehalis was arrested for misdemeanor assault at the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue and then booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Police were called about 8:50 a.m. yesterday to the 2800 block of Russell Road in Centralia regarding two slashed vehicle tires.

RECKLESS DRIVING

• Law enforcement is looking for a 46-year-old Mineral area man who rather than pull over when a deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on Saturday night ran through stop signs and then leaped from his moving vehicle on and ran off into the brush. It happened around 10:15 p.m. near the 100 block of Washington Street in Mineral, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office says Timothy C. Saterdal left his passenger in the rolling vehicle. A track with a police dog was unsuccessful, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, driving under the influence of prescription medication, shoplifting; responses for alarms, other misdemeanor assault, family disturbance, horses at large, apparent shoplifting which turned out to be unfounded, minor collisions such as car running into mailboxes; complaints of music so loud it vibrated the neighbor’s apartment … and more.

Northeast Washington Avenue in Chehalis. / Courtesy photo by Chehalis Fire Department

FIRE BREAKS OUT IN CHEHALIS GARAGE

• Firefighters responded just before 4 o’clock this morning to a burning garage on the 100 block of Northeast Washington Avenue in Chehalis. Arriving units found the detached structure fully engulfed in flames, according to Fire Chief Jim Walkowski. The blaze was contained to the garage and was extinguished. Nobody was injured, according to Walkowski. A vehicle inside was heavily damaged, he said in a news release. The cause is under investigation.

MOVING DAY RUINED

• An individual preparing to move from the 700 block of Southwest William Street called police about 5:45 a.m. yesterday after discovering a cargo trailer loaded with all his belongings had disappeared, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The white 2013 Carry brand utility trailer is described as 6-feet by 12-feet with manufacturers stickers on the side. It also had ramps with dents, according to police.

JEWELRY THEFT

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday they are looking for a 59-year-old homeless woman who allegedly stole jewelry from an acquaintance who let her in his home to eat. It happened between Thursday and Friday at the campground area off the 100 block of U.S. Highway 12, according to the sheriff’s office. Sgt. Rob Snaza said a deputy got information the 60-year-old victim’s items were pawned. Among the missing jewelry was a large Black Hills gold ring, according to Snaza.

• A ring was reported stolen from the 800 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia on Thursday, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FRAUD

• Centralia police took a report from the 900 block of South Schueber Road in Centralia on Thursday regarding checks being written by an unauthorized person.

• CAR PROWL

• Centralia police took a report yesterday morning of a purse stolen from a vehicle at the 400 block of South Diamond Street.

VANDALISM

• Police took a report of a window being broken out of a vehicle at the 1100 block of Elm Street in Centralia on Thursday evening.

VEHICLE VERSUS POLE

• A 35-year-old Chehalis resident was arrested for driving under the influence after running into a parked U-Haul truck and a utility pole on the 1000 block of South Gold Street in Centralia overnight. Officers responding about 12:40 a.m. cited and then released Matthew D. Sherman, according to the Centralia Police Department. He was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with what police described as minor injuries.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; responses for suspicious circumstances, shoplifting, minor collisions including one in which the driver reached down to get a soda that fell on the floor and crashed into a parked vehicle, complaints about mix-ups at the dry cleaners … and more.

LOCAL POLICE GO UNDERCOVER ON FACEBOOK

• A 36-year-old convicted felon was arrested today after he accidentally made a deal with an undercover detective on Facebook, allegedly, to trade sporting goods and electronic items for a semi-automatic rifle. Deputies got a tip the Silver Creek man was using Facebook trying to obtain a gun and began communicating with him, making arrangements to meet him at 1 o’clock today, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Kenneth L. Kemp contacted the detective at a parking lot on the 100 block of Kirkland Road in Napavine and showed the goods he want to trade, according to the sheriff’s office. After he handled and inspected the Ruger Mini-14, he was cuffed and booked in to the Lewis County Jail for unlawful possession of a firearm in the second-degree, according to the sheriff’s office. Kemp is a registered sex offender, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. He will also face a ticket for driving with a suspended license, Brown said in a news release.

CLERK THWARTS THIEF

• Police were summoned yesterday about 12:45 p.m. after a customer in a checkout line at the Goodwill reportedly reached over the counter and snatched money from the till. The clerk grabbed it back and the suspect described as a tall male with dark hair left the store, according to the Centralia police Department. Officers arriving to the 500 block of Harrison Avenue learned it had occurred several moment before the 911 call was made, as word of the incident traveled through a couple of steps with her superiors before police were called, according to Officer John Panco. He said that left them little to pursue. The departing vehicle was said to be a bright blue compact SUV, according to police.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police took a report yesterday of prescription medication stolen from a vehicle overnight at the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police say they were called about 5:25 p.m. yesterday about a young man walking down the street spray painting various things orange. The subject was described as younger than 20 wearing a gray sweatshirt and black shorts in the area of South Tower Avenue and East Locust Street. No arrest was made, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assaults including a teenager punching another teen in the back of the head at Green Hill School; responses for alarms, stolen bicycles, minor collisions, suspicious circumstances, an illegal butterfly knife confiscated from a 22-year-old passing through court security, a laptop snatched from a counter at a business, a tablet computer left on an outdoor bench picked up by someone else who told an officer he didn’t think it belonged to anyone; complaint about door-to-door-salespeople knocking at night … and more.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• The former treasurer for the Morton Athletic Association was given no jail time but ordered to pay restitution and fines after she pleaded guilty to first-degree theft today in connection with misappropriated M.A.A. funds that were kept in the Morton bank where she worked. Sarah J. Erskine, 34, of Morton, paid back the money she took before the case was brought to the attention of police, lawyers said today. Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Eric Eisenberg and defense attorney Don Blair both asked the judge to sentence Erskine to zero days in jail. Blair said his client knew it wasn’t right but her husband lost his logging job in 2011 and she used the funds to make ends meet at home, periodically replacing them. Charging documents initially alleged the amount in question to be upwards of $12,000. Blair said Erskine even borrowed money to pay back $3,000 she didn’t think she owed but the association did. Eisenberg said Erskine believes she’s paid it all back but he’s looking further as it seems there still may a few hundred dollars owed. Eisenberg said in this case the social stigma of a felony and the secondary consequences such as losing her voting and firearms rights seems to be enough of a punishment. Lewis County Superior Court  Judge James Lawler agreed.

THEFT

• A wedding ring and several pairs of ear rings were reported stolen from a residence on the 600 block of F Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday.

• Police were called yesterday afternoon about charges on a person’s credit cad which were unauthorized in connection with the the 500 block of Hillkress Street in Centralia .

• Centralia police took a report yesterday afternoon regarding a wallet stolen from a vehicle while it was parked at an individual’s workplace on the 1000 block of West Main Street.

CAMERA MAN

• Chehalis police were called about a man taking pictures near Chehalis Middle School yesterday. It was a third-hand report and while an officer has not found the man or the person who saw it, a check on the vehicle he was driving didn’t turn up anything concerning, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

WRECKS

• Two cars were totaled and two two people injured after a collision this morning on westbound state Route 508 about seven miles west of Morton. Troopers called about 8:45 a.m. to the scene near Dodge Road found a Honda Accord tried to pass a Ford Pinto attempting to make a left turn. Roze L. Tronsen, 26, of Palouse, and Bret D. Dearth, of Spokane, 42, were both transported to Morton General Hospital, according to the state patrol.

• A 22-year-old motorist apparently escaped with no injury when his car went into the river off state Route 508 near Carlisle Road in Onalaska yesterday afternoon, according to the Washington State Patrol. A spokesperson for the state patrol said this morning they didn’t know much about it as the driver, Ryan Andrade, crawled out and called from home at about 1:20 p.m. A tow company was called to remove the1991 Honda Accord from the water, Trooper Will Finn said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving without a license, misdemeanor assault; responses for alarms, shoplifting, someone writing on a wall at the Juvenile Justice Center; complaint about barking dogs … and more.

Ryan Andrade’s Honda sits off the roadway yesterday. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

Updated at 7:22 p.m.

BIKE VERSUS POLICE VEHICLE

• Firefighters called to a collision between a bicyclist and a Chehalis Police Department patrol vehicle last night found the 21-year-old man uninjured. It was shortly before 8:30 p.m. when the bicyclist was traveling southbound on Market Boulevard and collided with the front end of the eastbound police SUV at Park Street, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Aust was asked to investigate and determined the young man was at fault because he was going the wrong way, he said. He won’t be cited though, Aust said. “It kinda knocked him up onto the hood a little bit and then onto the ground,” Aust said. There was minor damage to the bicycle, according to Aust.

VEHICLE THEFT

• A red Chevrolet Blazer was reported stolen yesterday from the 1000 block of Mellen Street in Centralia. The vehicle broke down on Saturday and when the owner returned to tow it away, it was gone, according to the Centralia Police Department. The license plate reads ADK 6668, according to police.

MISSING PURSE

• Centralia police took a report about 2:50 p.m. yesterday from the 1800 block of Taylor Avenue regarding a resdential burglary and a missing Coach purse. It was silver with pink rose, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BARN BURGLARY

• A 37-year-old Winlock man was arrested yesterday for second-degree burglary as well as possession and trafficking of stolen property related to  a break-in to a barn at the 400 block of Hawkins Road in Winlock, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Barry W. Worley was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office. Missing was a camouflage pack containing various tools, according to Sgt. Rob Snaza.

DOMESTIC ISSUE

• A 34-year-old Chehalis area resident was arrested for felony harassment yesterday in Centralia after numerous alleged violations of of a no-contact order regarding his ex-wife. Mylo S. Armitage was booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with police about 12:45 p.m. at the 900 block of South Tower Avenue, according to the Centralia Police Department.

ELUDING

• A 40-year-old Randle man was arrested yesterday afternoon at his home on the 100 block of Kelly Lane in connection with allegedly fleeing sheriff’s deputies the evening before in the area of U.S. Highway 12 and Silverbrook Road in Randle, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Jake N. Dunaway was booked into the Lewis County Jail for eluding and warrants, according to the sheriff’s office.

CAR PROWL

• Police were contacted about 11:25 a.m. yesterday about a laptop computer missing from a vehicle on the 1600 block of Gails Avenue in Chehalis. It wasn’t clear how someone got inside, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police took a report about noon yesterday from the 700 block of North Pearl Street that someone had slashed a tire on a vehicle during the night.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, shoplifting, a transient sleeping on a church’s steps; complaint about neighbor with loud music, a person who asked another person for money and was rude when he was told no … and more.

Updated at 5:59 p.m.

SWAT TEAM IN GLENOMA

• A SWAT team served a search warrant just before 7 a.m. on the 8000 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Glenoma on Friday, arresting a 41-year-old man following a drug investigation. Robert A. Young was booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession and delivery of methamphetamine, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

STOLEN TRUCK LEADS TO CHASE

• A 28-year-old man was booked into the Lewis County Jail following a pursuit from Centralia into Thurston County on Friday afternoon involving a stolen vehicle. Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Rob Snaza said a deputy was responding to the 100 block of McAtee Road about 4 p.m. when advised of a burglary taking place nearby at the 100 block of Haliday Road. A police dog track led them to the 200 block of Haliday Road where they learned a Ford F150 pickup was just taken by a person with the same description, according to Snaza. Deputies chased the truck, joined by the state patrol, Tenino police and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, which ended up crashing, with the suspect fleeing on foot before he was apprehended, Snaza said. Steven C. Elmendorf, from Kent, was arrested for numerous offenses including an alleged hit and run in which someone was injured, according to Snaza.

OLD DYNAMITE

• A deputy was called on Saturday morning to the 400 block of North Military Road in Winlock after a new homeowner discovered explosives in an outbuilding in a field behind the home, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The bomb squad from the Washington State Patrol responded and detonated some of the items at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. Among the findings were old dynamite, primer cord and blasting caps, Sgt. Rob Snaza said. Firefighters came and helped burn down the small structure, according to Snaza.

BURGLARY

• Chehalis police were called to the 600 block of Northwest Ohio Avenue on Friday afternoon for an attempted burglary; a shoe print was found on the garage door, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Someone burglarized the same residence about a week earlier, removing a 9 mm pistol and some boxes of items, Officer Linda Bailey said.

VEHICLE THEFT

• Police took a report yesterday from the 1000 block of Grand Avenue in Centralia of a stolen car. The white 1996 Ford Taurus went missing sometime in the previous two weeks, according to the Centralia Police Department. It has a license plate reading AIT 6218, according to police.

• The sheriff’s office took a report about 5 p.m. yesterday of a three-quarter ton 1974 Chevrolet pickup truck stolen from the 200 block of Boistfort Road west of Chehalis. The owner, a 23-year-old Pe Ell resident, said it had broken down the night before, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

DRUGS

• Centralia police arrested a 51-year-old man for possession of methamphetamine at about 10:30 p.m. yesterday. Alden D. Herbert was booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with an officer at the 1300 block of Lakeshore Drive, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Police were called just before 1 p.m. yesterday about a vehicle prowl at the 200 block of Tilley Road in Centralia. Nothing appeared to be missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• A Centralia officer took yet another report yesterday of a vehicle shot with a BB gun in Centralia. The back window of a truck was struck at the 300 block of West Sixth Street, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE ACCIDENTS

• Police responded about 9:35 p.m. yesterday to a hit and run collision at the 600 block of Yakima Street in Centralia. in which two vehicles were struck. The suspect vehicle was described as a black Dodge Durango with a known license plate number, according to the Centralia Police Department. A summons is being issued to a 32-year-old Seattle man, according to police.

• A 65-year-old Winlock woman sustained minor injuries when she lost control of her car just before 4 p.m. yesterday at the 200 block of Oyler Road near Ethel and rolled it onto its top, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The car was totaled, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A motorist was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle from Packwood yesterday after getting run over by her own vehicle. Firefighters called to the 100 block of Main Street East found the woman was leaving her place of business when she began swatting at a bee on her shirt and exited her SUV before putting it in park, according to Lewis County Fire District 10. She tried to get back in but ended up beneath the vehicle which dragged her, leaving her with leg injuries, Chief Lonnie Goble said. The sheriff’s office said 56-year-old Donna Breidstein’s Ford Explorer also rolled into a parked car

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, violation of no contact order, shoplifting, hit and run; responses for alarms, misdemeanor assault, disputes, rear-end collision, intoxicated person laying on side of road; complaint of barking neighbor dog  … and more.

The aftermath of failure to use safety chains when towing trailer. / Courtesy photo by Trian DelaMater

THE TINY SHIP WAS TOSSED

• A small boat took an unexpected detour off its trailer and onto the sidewalk along South Gold Street in Centralia last night, narrowly missing a building. Responders arriving after the approximately 8:30 p.m. mishap found two vehicles damaged in the used car lot belonging to Sunny Valley Sales. “We’re fortunate it actually hit the cars instead not the showroom,” Debbie Mills said. She and her husband Brad Mills had just left the business moments earlier and were at home not far away. “Brad was outside with our dogs and said he heard the worst racket ever,” she said. “Then a friend called and said you’d better get down here.” Tow truck driver Aaron Towman (not his real last name, but the name he goes by) said he believed the driver was coming down off the viaduct and the trailer began to bounce before coming unhitched. Towman said the errant trailer must have been clipping along fairly fast as its tongue stabbed through the grill of a Ford F250 pickup and the boat continued on, knocking down the business’s tall sign. That landed on the roof of a Nissan Maxima. Police say they cited the 53-year-old Onalaska man for losing his load. Marc Vonsovic was towing his trailer without safety chains, according to the Centralia Police Department. “The worst thing is, that truck was going to be sold tomorrow,” Debbie Mills said.

DRUGS AND STUFF

• A 44-year-old man from Port Hadlock was arrested about 5:30 a.m. today at the 400 block of East Plum Street in connection with a stolen Madza recovered by police there – which had recently been involved in a hit and run accident – for warrants and also for possession of methamphetamine, according to the Centralia Police Department. Earnest E. Farris was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

CARS SHOT

• Police were called just before 11 a.m. yesterday to the 600 block of Fulton Street in Centralia where several vehicle windows were broken, apparently shot at with a BB or pellet gun, according to the Centralia Police Department. Similar reports were taken earlier in the morning on Oxford Avenue.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license, misdemeanor domestic assault, misdemeanor theft; responses for minor collisions … and more.