Lewis County Sirens.com

DRUGS

• A 21-year-old motorist pulled over for speeding yesterday on U.S. Highway 12 near Ethel yesterday was arrested after two and half pounds of marijuana and 18 Ecstasy pills were found in his trunk. A trooper smelled marijuana and subsequently had a K-9 sniff the vehicle, according to charging documents. Samuel N. Daggett, 21, of Mountlake Terrace, showed a valid medical marijuana authorization, but said it was for an ailment the trooper understood not to be approved by the law, according to charging documents. Daggett was charged today with one count of possession of a controlled substance and a count of felony possession of marijuana. His father was in court and asked to co-sign a $25,000 unsecured bond for his release. Charging papers note Daggett said at the jail the amount authorities claimed was wrong, as he had just paid for two pounds of marijuana not two and a half pounds.

INDECENT EXPOSURE

• A 65-year-old man was arrested and jailed yesterday morning after two individuals saw him urinating in a parking lot across from R.E. Bennett Elementary School  in Chehalis about 10 a.m. A driver stopped in traffic told police he made no effort to hide his exposed (parts), according to charging documents. James L. Stephens, who is moving from Rochester to the 300 block of South Market – near where he was observed – was charged with felony indecent exposure because he has been previously convicted of a similar offense or a sex offense, according to authorities. Defense attorney Bob Schroeter told a judge this afternoon Stephens’ criminal history includes a 30-year-old conviction. It was first-degree rape, according to charging documents. He is a registered level three sex offender, according to Chehalis police. Stephens was released on a $15,000 unsecured bond.

FRAUD ONLINE

• A 19-year-old Chehalis woman called the sheriff’s office yesterday after she learned she’d been tricked out a $2,200 engagement ring set she tried to sell on Craigslist. After receiving what she thought was confirmation payment had been made into her PayPal account, she sent the goods via UPS to an address in California, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It turned out the email “confirmation” was fake, according to Brown. The sheriff’s office advises counterfeit payment confirmations can look authentic, but should be independently verified. It’s a common scheme they are seeing, according to Brown.

• A woman called Centralia police yesterday to report she was ripped off by a fake ad that popped up on her computer. It warned there was a virus and charged a fee to repair it, according to the Centralia Police Department. After she paid, she realized it was a scam, police reported. The amount stolen was not indicated by police.

THEFT AND BURGLARY

• Police were called about 6:45 p.m. yesterday to the 1600 block of West Mellen Street in Centralia where someone had apparently broken in to a home while the residents were away. Damage of an unspecified nature was found inside, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police took a report about 12:15 p.m. yesterday of a car prowl on the 100 block of South Silver Street in Centralia. A stereo was taken, according to the Centralia Police Department.

WRECKS

• Officers were called to a school bus hitting a parked vehicle about 3:25 p.m. yesterday at West First Street and North Washington Avenue in Centralia. Police said there were no injuries and the damage as minor.

• A truck driver was tracked down at a loading dock in the Port of Centralia after he reportedly backed up on Harrison Avenue to make his turn, twice striking a car behind him. A deputy called about 3:50 p.m. learned the 61-year-old driver from Rochester moved out his way after the first bump only to have him back up further and get her car again, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. He told the deputy he heard a horn but was unaware of the collisions, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. His Peterbilt  tractor-trailer rig was undamaged, but the Saturn sustained an estimated $3,000 damage, according to Brown. A Toyota Camry also somehow involved was not damaged, Brown said. The 75-year-old truck driver from Alberta, Canada was cited for hit and run, Brown said.

ATTEMPTED DOG-NAPPING

• A resident of the 500 block of Jackson Street in Centralia called police about 10:15 a.m. yesterday after he caught someone trying to steal his St. Bernard. He had gone in the backyard to get his dog and spotted its back end going around the fence toward an alley “kind of struggling” according to police. He saw a guy pulling his dog away, grabbed the dog and then alleged dog-napper shoved him before running away, according to Officer John Panco.

THEFT

• A deputy took a report yesterday of several appliances stolen from a vacant house on the 500 block of South Street in Centralia. The victim is “Fannie Mae” and the contact person is an assistant from a real estate company. Missing was a hot water heater, a dishwasher, a double oven and range as well as the kitchen sink, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• A deputy took a report yesterday evening of items stolen from a barn on the 100 block of Kahout Road in Curtis, including the metal coupala from atop the barn, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Also missing is a barber chair with a white cushion and stainless steel frame and 30 to 40 wood boards, according to the sheriff’s office. The theft occurred sometime between Jan. 2 and Saturday.

• Police responded to Oakview Elementary School in Centralia just after 3 o’clock this morning where a window had been broken and someone apparently went inside. Unknown if anything was missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DUI

• Centralia police arrested a man yesterday on the 1400 block of Lewis Street after he reportedly drove his truck through a neighbor’s yard then went inside a home and refused to answer the door when police knocked. His vehicle had caused “damage”, according to the Centralia Police Department. Officers got a search warrant and then found Zachary S. Gunderson, 30, hiding inside with Jason R. Moore Sr., 29, according to police. Gunderson was arrested for driving under the influence, obstruction and hit and run, according to police. Moore was arrested for obstructing.

WRECKS

• Centralia police responded to a two-car accident on the 2000 block of Northeast Kresky Avenue in Chehalis about 11:10 a.m. yesterday. While the damage to the vehicles was serious, the injuries were not, according to Chehalis police. One driver had turned in front of the other, Sgt. Gary Wilson said.

• Deputies didn’t find a driver when they responded yesterday morning to a wreck on the 300 block of Big Hanford Road outside Centralia. A 1999 Plymouth had struck a guard rail and gone into a ditch, sustained an estimated $1,000 damage, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It was towed.

STOVE FIRE

• Firefighters were called about 9:20 a.m. yesterday to a kitchen fire at a dental office on the 2400 block of Borst Avenue in Centralia. The damage was limited to an electric range, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

MAN JAILED AFTER HOSTILE ACTIONS TOWARD PET, VEHICLE

• Deputies were called to a home on the 1200 block of North Fork Road east of Chehalis about 9:20 p.m. yesterday after a man allegedly kicked a small cat across a porch and threw a brick at his ex’s car. A 45-year-old woman said they’d separated about three weeks earlier and he came knocking, wanting her to come back to him, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. She told him to leave, shut the door and then watched as he kicked the animal and damaged the car, according to the sheriff’s office. A deputy subsequently contacted Michael T. Gleason, 48, of Chehalis, and booked him into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree malicious mischief, domestic violence, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The case was also referred to the prosecutor’s office for a possible charge of animal cruelty. Brown didn’t have details on the cat’s condition. The damage to the Mercury Cougar was estimated at $750, Brown said.

PHARMACIST ARRESTED FOR TAKING MEDS FROM WORK

• A pharmacist at K-Mart was arrested yesterday for alleged theft of a variety of prescription medications from the Chehalis retail establishment on the 1200 block of Northwest Louisiana Street. Police said Gunars Arnits, 59, of Longview was reportedly “skimming ” a couple of doses here and there and consuming them on the job. Police Sgt. Gary Wilson said it’s not clear how much was missing but the assortment included controlled substances. Arnits was arrested for third-degree theft and then released, Wilson said. The sergeant said he understood Arnits was let go from his job and the case would also involve the state pharmacy board.

THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 7:10 p.m. yesterday about the theft of jewelry from a residence on the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia.

• Chehalis police were called yesterday morning to the 1100 block of Southwest Cascade Avenue and told of an apparent burglary that happened there last month.

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning two safes were stolen from an office of a business on the 1700 block of Bishop Road in Chehalis. A deputy called Sunday to Kugel Industries learned intruders forced their way in “through a wall”, according to the sheriff’s office. The contents were unknown although may have included approximately $400 cash, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The break-in occurred sometime between Friday and Sunday, Brown said.

• A 1996 GMC Jimmy truck disappeared after its owner left it stuck in a ditch around 4 a.m. Sunday along the 400 block of Lincoln Creek Road outside Centralia, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning. Its owner, a 30-year-old Centralia resident, said he got a ride home and when he went back later, it was gone. It has a license plate reading 994 XEW and is valued at $2,000, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

• Cash, a debit card and a stereo faceplate were reported missing following a vehicle prowl on the 500 block of Waunch Street in Centralia yesterday morning.

VANDALISM

• Somebody spray painted a white stripe down the side of a car on the 1100 block of Southwest Cascade Avenue in Chehalis, according to a report made to police yesterday morning.

DRUGS

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a deputy stopped a 51-year-old driver on Saturday evening for a traffic infraction and she voluntarily handed over an unspecified amount of suspected methamphetamine. The encounter occurred just before 6 p.m.  Sunday on U.S. Highway 12 in Randle, according to the sheriff’s office. The woman was released and the case referred to the prosecutor’s office for a possible charge of possession of methamphetamine, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. Brown did not indicate why the woman was not arrested and booked into jail.

• A 42-year-old Morton resident was arrested by a trooper over the weekend in connection with allegedly selling methamphetamine from his home on the 600 block of Main Avenue. Robert P. Eklund was ordered held on $10,000 bail on a charge of delivery of meth when he appeared in Lewis County Superior Court yesterday. Charging documents allege a contract informant with the sheriff’s office exchanged $60 in marked money for a small baggie of meth from Eklund in mid-February and then a warrant was issued. Eklund was booked into jail Sunday night, according to the Lewis County Jail log.

WRECK

• Police called about 11:30 p.m. yesterday to a single-vehicle accident on the 1300 block of North Pearl Street in Centralia later arrested the 19-year-old driver for leaving the scene. Hugo A. Campuzano-Garcia, 19, of Centralia, suffered possible head injuries and was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Updated 12:29 p.m.

WRECKS

• A 56-year-old Winlock driver was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after her vehicle sheered a utility pole off at the ground on Highway 603 near Devereese Road southwest of Chehalis yesterday afternoon. Janice M. Sedlak was passing in a no passing zone when she lost control of her SUV and struck the pole at about 5 p.m., according to responders. Her vehicle sustained major damage, including a windshield broken by a four by four post, according to the sheriff’s office and Lewis County Fire District 6. Sedlak was treated and has been released, according to a hospital spokesperson.

• A Centralia log truck driver was cited for leaving his rig parked in the street on the 1000 block of Reynolds Avenue while he got out and locked a gate early this morning after another vehicle ran into the back of it. The 2005 Toyota Rav4 was totaled but its driver – a 56-year-old Centralia women – sustained only minor injuries, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital after the approximately 4:15 a.m. collision, according to sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust. She did not see the log truck, Aust said.

• Centralia police report an officer was called to a two-vehicle head-on injury collision just after 11 p.m. Saturday at Cooks Hill and Military roads. A Centralia Police Department spokesperson said no details on the wreck were available to him.

THEFT

• A $1,000 of what was described as 300 feet of 220 service copper wire was reported stolen from a building on the 100 block of School House Road in Winlock on Friday morning, according to the  Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Centralia police were called to the 1400 block of View Avenue on Friday afternoon about a checkbook stolen from a vehicle sometime in the previous several days.

DRUGS

• Centralia police report they arrested a 46-year-old Chehalis resident some time on Saturday for possession of methamphetamine and second-degree theft. Matthew D. Gillaspie was booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with an officer at the 500 block of Yew Street, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DOG FIGHT

• Centralia police report a dog was taken to the Lewis County Animal Shelter after an officer was called about 1:30 p.m. Saturday to the 1400 block of Lewis Street where the Pit Bull allegedly attacked another dog plus its owner who tried to separate the animals. Further details were not readily available.

More to come. Maybe.

Looking south on Pearl Street towards Fourth Street in Centralia./ Courtesy photo by Gene Inman

SWAT TEAMS IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia area residents report a SWAT vehicle and several police cars showed up at North Pearl Street near Fourth Street about 9 o’clock this morning. Cheryl Towne said she saw them at a building known by locals as The Creamery. A Centralia Police Department spokesperson said their agency’s SWAT team was assisting the sheriff’s office SWAT team with an operation he did not share details about. More to come.

SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION

• Firefighters were called about 5:15 this morning to smoke coming from a downtown Chehalis building on North Market Boulevard. A delivery person had opened the door at the Chinese buffet and smoke rolled out, according the Chehalis Fire Department. Inside, a bucket of oily rags had ignited on their own, Firefighter Kevin Reynolds said. Crews used a fire extinguisher to douse the fire, according to Reynolds.

• Firefighters were called just before 4 o’clock this morning to a business that sells propane bottles on the 3800 block of Galvin Road in Centralia where a fire was burning in an outdoor Dumpster.  Used paint filters from spray painting inside a black plastic bag had spontaneously combusted, according to Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Tim Adolphsen.

BURGLARY

• Some four to five thousand dollars worth of electrical supplies and parts were taken from an outbuilding on the 100 block of Schoolhouse Road in Winlock, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It was reported yesterday evening and may have occurred around midnight, as a neighbor heard a dog barking around then, according to the sheriff’s office. Someone broke a lock and went through a sliding glass door, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

• A Toledo resident returned home last night to find a door to her house kicked in. Nothing appeared to be missing from the home on the 200 block of state Route 506, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said. It occurred between 7 a.m. and 8:15 p.m., according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. Brown said the intruder may have been scared away by an alarm.

HANDBAG LIFTED WHILE SHOPPING

• Chehalis police were called to Shop N Kart about 1:40 p.m. yesterday about the theft of a purse from a shopping cart.

DRUGS

• A 50-year-old Centralia resident was arrested for possession of heroin after contact with an officer at the 1200 block of View Street about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, according to the Centralia Police Department. Lynn A. Vangorder was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

ASSAULT

• Centralia police were called about 6:30 a.m. today to an assault at the 500 block of North Rock Street. Further details were unavailable.

SON TO FACE MURDER CHARGE FOLLOWING RELEASE FROM HOSPITAL

• Twenty-five-year-old Joshua Vance was booked into the Lewis County Jail last night for first-degree murder, according to the sheriff’s office jail roster. Vance was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries after he called 911 early Wednesday morning and said he killed his father. Terry Vance, 58, was found dead of apparent stab wounds in the home he shared with his mother, son and grandchild. Joshua Vance is expected to go before a judge this afternoon.

RIDE BY PURSE THEFT

• Police say a woman at Fort Borst Park hung her handbag on the mirror of her vehicle while loading up her children when a thin male on a bicycle rode by and snatched it. It was reported about 1:20 p.m. yesterday from the 2000 block of Borst Avenue, according to the Centralia Police Department.

GAS CANS LIFTED

• Chehalis police were called just after 9 a.m. yesterday to Northeast Adams Avenue where they were told a gas can was stolen from a patio and another from a neighbor’s carport.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called to the 100 block of West Main Street about 10:15 p.m. yesterday about a vehicle prowl. A laptop computer, a coat and CDs were taken, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

SHOP BREAK-IN

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday an estimated $6,000 of items including a four-wheeler, tools and a generator were stolen from the 100 block of Rest Haven Lane in Packwood. A lock was cut and a door pried open to a shop, according to the sheriff’s office. It had occurred sometime between Saturday and Tuesday, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

DRUGS

• A 26-year-old Centralia man was arrested for possession of methamphetamine after contact with an officer early Wednesday morning on the 300 block of South Silver Street. Bryan G. Mako was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• An 18-year-old was arrested for possession of a prescription drug without its prescription when contacted by an officer in Rotary Riverside Park in Centralia on Tuesday afternoon. Corey J. Bunnell, from Olympia, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BIG RIG DRIVES OVER SMALL CAR

• A 27-year-old Chehalis woman escaped with cuts to her head and other possible injuries when a semi truck moved into her lane causing her Ford Escort to be dragged under its trailer. It happened just before 8 p.m. on Tuesday on northbound Interstate 5 in Chehalis, near the Chamber of Commerce Way interchange, according to the Washington State Patrol. Jennifer R. Belcher was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital and her car which spun out onto a grassy area was totaled, according to the state patrol. The driver of the 2005 Peterbilt, Barry L. Skavlem, 45, of Rochester, was reportedly uninjured. “She was very lucky she wasn’t worse,” Chehalis Fire Department Capt. Kevin Curfman said.