Lewis County Sirens.com

MARIJUANA AT MIDDLE SCHOOL

• A deputy was summoned to Winlock Middle School yesterday afternoon about a 13-year-old student being found in possession of a small amount of marijuana. The boy said it was for his personal use but he had not used it, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The student was turned over to his mother; the case will be referred to juvenile prosecutors for a charging decision, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

BARN BURGLARIZED

• A 69-year-old resident on the 700 block of Curtis Hill Road called the sheriff’s office about 6:20 a.m. yesterday when he discovered a burglary to his cow barn. Missing sometime since the day before was a Honda pressure washer and two 25-foot sections of insulated copper wire, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

THEFT

• Police took a report about 6:50 a.m. today of a car prowl on the 1500 block of View Avenue in Centralia. Someone cut the cloth top on a Jeep and stole a purse and credit cards, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A window was broken out of a vehicle parked at the 200 block of Southeast Washington Avenue in  Chehalis and a CD player stolen, according to a report made to police just after 9 a.m. yesterday.

• A car stolen from Centralia turned up yesterday at Delano and Blair roads north of town, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The owner was contacted and retrieved the 2001 Honda Accord, according to the sheriff’s office.

WRECKS

• A 19-year-old Chehalis area resident received minor cuts when he rolled his car yesterday morning off Brockway Road, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The teenager said he was not paying attention and drove his Oldsmobile Cutlass off the road, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. There was major damage to the car, Brown said. The driver was issued a citation for wheels off the roadway.

• A 21-year-old driver from Centralia was cited for wheels off the roadway after she reached for her chap stick and ran into an embankment on the 600 block of Centralia-Alpha Road east of Chehalis yesterday evening. A deputy arriving about 5:45 p.m. reported she and her passengers were evaluated by medics and none were injured,  according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The 2004 Ford Focus sustained major damage, according to the sheriff’s office.

GRANDMOTHER SWINDLED OUT OF $2,500

• A 73-year-old Onalaska woman called the sheriff’s office yesterday when she realized she’d been tricked into sending $2,500 to a stranger. It happened late last month when she received a phone call from someone who identified himself as her grandson saying he was in New York where he’d gotten arrested for driving under the influence and needed the funds to get out of jail and get back to his base in Utah, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Sgt. Rob Snaza said the caller sounded sounded like the victim’s grandson who is in the military residing in Utah. The caller put his “attorney” on the phone, who helped arrange for the grandmother to wire the money via a local Western Union service, according to Snaza. She subsequently has been in contact with her grandson and discovered it was not him, according to the sheriff’s office. Snaza says the sheriff’s office urges folks if they are ever suspicious of something that could be a scam to call 911. Investigators are trying to figure out how the caller knew the young man’s details, Snaza said, but cautioned people might consider personal information they post online in places such as Facebook.

VEHICLE THEFT

• A green 2001 Honda Accord was reported stolen from a residence on the 100 block of West Roanoke Street in Centralia yesterday. The missing car has a black fender on its passenger side, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Police were called about 12:20 p.m. yesterday about a car prowl in which someone stole a stereo from the 100 block of Virginia Drive in Centralia.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police were called yesterday to a home on Southwest Gales Avenue where the 30-year-old resident said someone cut the wires on his house for the telephone and internet overnight. There is no suspect, according to police.

DRUGS

• A 41-year-old Centralia man picked up on a warrant overnight was allegedly found with a zipper case in his pocket that contained suspected methamphetamine and scales. Harold J. Bland was taken in to custody about 1:50 a.m. at a gas station on the 1200 block of Mellen Street in Centralia, according to police. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession with intent to deliver, Sgt. Kurt Reichert said.

AND OTHER STUFF

• Also, as usual, various arrests for outstanding warrants, and misdemeanors such as shoplifting and marijuana.

COMPLAINT: WOMAN ‘TALKING WITH HER BUTT CHEEKS’

• Police were called to Wal-Mart yesterday morning to a complaint a customer refused to leave, pulled her pants down and was “talking with her butt cheeks.” An officer who responded to the 10 a.m. call to Northwest Louisiana Avenue said the woman who was in her 30s denied exposing herself. She was “trespassed” meaning she was told she may not return to the store, according to the Chehalis Police Department. “We don’t know what she was trying to do,” Sgt. Brian Hickey said.

ESTIMATED $10,000 WORTH OF GEAR MISSING FROM GARAGE

• Someone stole two sets of diving equipment and a racing bicycle from the 900 block of South Silver Street in Centralia, according to police. An officer called about 9:10 a.m. yesterday was told a lock had been cut off the garage. The loss is estimated at about $10,000, according to the Centralia Police Department.

TRUCK TAKEN IN CENTRALIA

• A deputy was called yesterday morning to the theft of a maroon 1999 Ford Ranger from a driveway on the 400 block of South Street in Centralia. The vehicle went missing sometime between 9 p.m. on Monday and 8 a.m. yesterday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

INTRUDER FLEES SHOP BUILDING

• Centralia police were called at 8:48 p.m. yesterday to an interrupted burglary to a shop building on the 2400 block of Eureka Avenue. The victim observed a male wearing a dark-colored Oregon Ducks shirt, gray sweat pants and black with orange shoes running from the building, according to the Centralia Police Department. Nothing was immediately reported as missing, according to police.

PURSE STOLEN FROM PARKED VEHICLE

• A woman who parked her car at Schaeffer Park north of Centralia while she walked her dog last night returned to find a window broken out and her purse missing. A deputy called about 8:45 p.m. to the parking lot on the 800 block of state Route 507 canvassed the area but found no suspect, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loss of the handbag, cash and credit cards is about $450, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND OTHER STUFF

• Also, as usual, various arrests for outstanding warrants, reports of misdemeanors such as theft and assault, as well as traffic issues and complaints that were not confirmed.

CHEHALIS MAN SHOOTS, MISSES, DOG WITH RABBIT

• Deputies were called about 4:20 a.m. today to a rural Chehalis home after a resident said his rabbit hutch was broken into by neighbor dogs. He said he awoke to the sound of a squealing rabbit and saw two German shepherds running away, one with his rabbit in its mouth, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The 44-year-old fired a shot at the dog, but missed, according to the sheriff’s office. It happened at the the 1000 block of state Route 508. The rabbit died and the dogs’ owner was issued a citation for a violation called prohibited activities by dogs, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

HARD LIQUOR LEAVES STORE IN MALE’S PANTS

• Chehalis police were called just before 3 p.m. yesterday to a grocery store on the 2100 block of North National Avenue where they were told a young man had slipped a fifth of booze down the front of his shorts and departed without paying. Shop ‘n Kart’s surveillance video showed it was a fifth of Jagermeister, priced at just over $30, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

“THANKS, FOUND IT”

• Chehalis police were called to the parking lot at Wal-Mart about a suspected car prowl that occurred while its owner was shopping about 11:30 a.m. yesterday. The woman said she tore the vehicle apart looking for her turtle but it was gone. The reptile turned up later, according to Officer Linda Bailey.

MISSING MONEY AT NURSING HOME

• An officer was called to a nursing home on the 1300 block of Alexander Street in Centralia yesterday afternoon to take a report about money stolen from two residents. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

COLLECTING FIREWOOD GETS MAN IN TROUBLE

• A 55-year-old firewood seller was arrested near his home in Eatonville yesterday morning after he allegedly fled property on the 9000 block of state Route 7 north of Morton with a truckload of wood. When the law caught up with Homer F. Roger, he said the property wasn’t posted no trespassing so he didn’t think he did anything wrong, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Roger was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree trespass, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The wood was from a slash burn pile and a value could not be established for theft, according to Brown.

DRUGS MISSING

• Centralia police took a report about 4:30 p.m. yesterday from he 500 block of Yew Street about the theft of prescription medication. They have a potential suspect and are investigating, according to the Centralia Police Department.

ASSAULT

• A 17-year-old boy was arrested last night for allegedly choking his mother during an argument when she wouldn’t let him leave the home. Deputies called about 11:15 p.m. to the 1600 block of Pleasant Valley Road west of Chehalis reported they were told the woman briefly could not breathe while her son’s arm was around her neck. The teen was taken into custody for second-degree assault, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Morton police are investigating a Saturday incident in which a man was walking down a sidewalk with friends when a stranger came up and hit him in the face. It happened about 11 a.m. at Main Avenue and First Street, according to the Morton Police Department. The suspect is a male in his 20s, according to Chief Dan Mortensen.

VANDALISM

• Someone tagged a playground wall at Edison Elementary School on the 600 block of H Street in Centralia, police were told yesterday morning. It was immediately painted over by school employees, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DEER WRECK

• A woman and three girls from Toledo escaped serious injury when she rolled her vehicle onto its side after encountering four or five deer in the roadway  last night. A deputy called about 10 p.m. the South Jackson Highway near state Route 505 near Toledo was told by the 37-year-old driver she braked and swerved to miss the animals and the Ford Explorer went down an embankment, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A 14-year-old passenger was taken to the hospital with neck and back pain, according to the sheriff’s office. The others, including girls ages 13 and 5, were reportedly uninjured. “Amazingly, there was no damage to the vehicle but it had to be towed from the ditch,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

Updated at 5:32 p.m.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE: MAN ASKS 911 FOR SLEEPING PILLS

• A Winlock man was arrested after he reportedly called 911 eight times over the weekend to say he’d been poisoned, there were suspicious people outside his home and he needed sleeping pills because he’d been awake for five days. Deputies who responded to the 100 block of Bethany Lane suspected he might be under the influence of something because of his odd behavior, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. He said he had used methamphetamine, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Matthew T. Johnson was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital after first calling 911 on Saturday and was then released, according to Brown. Johnson repeatedly called 911 until Sunday morning, when deputies arrested and booked him into the Lewis County Jail for telephone harassment, she said.

KITTEN SHOT

• Chehalis police are investigating an incident in which a kitten was shot on the 1400 block of Mills Avenue. An officer called about 6 p.m. on Friday was told by the 20-year-old owner the feline was found under the neighbor’s porch and the veterinarian suspected it was a .22 caliber bullet that went through the spine, according to police. Sgt. Brian Hickey said he understood the kitten didn’t survive. An officer is still attempting to contact individuals to conduct further interviews, Hickey said.

PATIENT TAKES SWING AT FIREFIGHTER

• A 26-year-old intoxicated woman from Lacey was arrested about 1 a.m. on Saturday when she allegedly took a swing at a firefighter who was trying to help her get up. Police were called to the 2100 block of North National Avenue to assist aid crews which had been summoned about a woman who was having trouble breathing, according to the Chehalis Police Department. She told the firefighter to “FU” and grabbed his legs when her punch didn’t connect, according to police. She was booked into the Lewis County Jail for third-degree assault but is being released without the felony charge pending further investigation.

BURGLARY IN CENTRALIA

• Someone stole a sledge hammer, tools and a moving cart from a residence on the 200 block of Van Buren Street in Centralia, according o a report made to police yesterday afternoon. They also removed the siding from a shed and made off with fishing poles and a tool chest, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BURGLARY SUSPECT PICKED UP IN TOLEDO

• Deputies located a burglary suspect last night near Toledo and booked him into the Lewis County Jail. David M. Meyer, 31, was wanted in connection with a Oct. 12 break-in to a home on the 100 block of Collins Road, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Meyer was found about 7 p.m. in the 1500 block of state Route 505, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

CAR STOLEN, FOUND

• Centralia police took a report on Saturday morning of a car stolen from the 300 block of Jackson Street. The victim later found her Honda in the area of Anderson Road, according to the Centralia Police Department.

THOUSAND DOLLAR TOW DOLLY MISSING

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a blue and white tow dolly valued at $1,000 was stolen from near a driveway on the 2700 block of Sandra Avenue in Centralia on Oct. 12. The victim just reported the theft on Friday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It has spoked rims, according to the sheriff’s office.

WRECKS

• A 55-year-old man was arrested for driving under the influence after a two-vehicle minor injury collision on Harrison Avenue and Johnson Road in Centralia on Friday evening, according to police. An officer called about 8:10 p.m. to the scene issued a citation to George M. Solomon, of Centralia, and then released him, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A 42-year-old Winlock man was arrested for driving under the influence after a non-injury, single vehicle collision Friday afternoon in the Toledo area in which he allegedly ran away from the scene, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A detective arriving about 3 p.m. located Douglas F. E. Jerome and brought him back to the wreck, according to the sheriff’s office. It happened near Jackson Highway and Frost Road near Toledo. His car sustained only minor damage, , Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

POLICE CHASE THROUGH WINLOCK

• A 25-year-old motorist was arrested yesterday evening after a police pursuit that reached speeds of more than 50 mph in a residential neighborhood on Southeast First Street in Winlock, according to police. Winlock Police Chief Terry Williams reported the driver fled his vehicle on Ash Street where he was apprehended. Marcus A. Church of Silver Creek was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine, according to Williams. A search of the vehicle by police dog Misha and her partner turned up drug paraphernalia and an illegal weapon, according to Williams. Church was booked into the Lewis County Jail about 7:20 p.m. for attempting to elude, possession of meth and possession of a dangerous weapon. It began with a traffic stop related to driving with a suspended license, according to the chief.

Updated at 4:40 p.m.

PE ELL MOLESTATION SUSPECT PICKED UP IN TEXAS

• A 41-year-old former Pe Ell man who vanished after he was charged five years ago with molesting his girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter was located and arrested yesterday west of Dallas by Texas Rangers.

Michael T. Yeager

Lewis County Sheriff’s Office detectives have been looking for Michael T. Yeager since 2008, at one point even conducting SWAT operations where they thought he was camping in the woods around Pe Ell, according to the sheriff’s office. Local detectives learned family member’s of Yeager were assisting him by giving him a place to live in Quitman, Texas and asked the Rangers for assistance, according to Sheriff Steve Mansfield. Yeager was arrested late yesterday afternoon and will be extradited back to Lewis County. Mansfield said Yeager was living out in the woods and tried to escape by water in a canoe. A Ranger tracked him down and found he had a large amount of survival gear, a rifle and a fishing pole. Mansfield said. The case involves an allegation he molested the girl over a several year span while they resided together in Pe Ell, according to the sheriff’s office.

COPPER WIRE, PIPES, MISSING FROM ROCK PIT

• Somebody stole stole thousands of dollars worth of materials and equipment from a business on the 800 block of state Route 507 in an overnight break in, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy called to the rock pit about 9 a.m. yesterday learned that 250 feet of copper pipe and 100 feet of copper wire were among the items taken, according to the sheriff’s office.

THEFT FROM RENTAL BUSINESS

• Centralia police are investigating a theft from a household furnishings rental center on the 2000 block of Borst Avenue. A report made to police yesterday afternoon indicated a customer stopped making payments  on a living room set and a television, according to police.

POLITICAL SIGN SET ON FIRE

• Firefighters were called to the 100 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia yesterday evening to extinguish a burning Dan Swecker campaign sign. The case was turned over to police.

DRUGS AT GRADE SCHOOL

• Centralia police were summoned to Oakview Elementary School around noontime yesterday when marijuana was found in a 12-year-old boy’s pocket. The case involving a small amount of the suspected drug is being turned over to prosecutors for evaluation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

HONDA CAR SOUGHT IN HOME BREAK-IN

• Deputies were called about 4:25 p.m. yesterday to a burglary at a residence on the 800 block of Logan Hill Road outside Chehalis. A girl told them when  let herself in after school, the door felt like it was unlocked, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A neighbor said he heard a car start up and leave the home about 10:30 a.m., and noted it was a white Honda, perhaps a Civic or  Prelude, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Among the valuables missing are a Toshiba 32-inch flat screen television, a Dell computer monitor, antique silverware and $70 cash, Brown said.

POLICE: VIDEO CAPTURES FLEEING SHOPLIFTER

• A Chehalis police detective traveled to Hoquiam yesterday to arrest a  21-year-old resident for a shoplifting incident last Friday morning at Wal-Mart in Chehalis. Surveillance video which showed someone carrying merchandise our an emergency exit and get into a waiting vehicle led police to Justin A. Dunlap, according to Chehalis police. Dunlap was booked into the Lewis County Jail for retail theft, according to police. Taken was a backpack and stereo equipment valued at about $230, Officer Linda Bailey said.

CAR VERSUS BUS

• A passenger car and a Twin Transit bus collided about 10 a.m. yesterday at the intersection of North Pearl and West First streets in Centralia. The driver of the car ran a red light, according to police. Nobody was injured, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Someone broke the window out of a vehicle on the 1400 block of Logan Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just before 5 p.m. yesterday.

• Centralia police were notified yesterday morning of graffiti spray painted overnight on the back of a building on the 500 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia.