Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Pe Ell Marshal Mike Hartnett is urging parents to talk with their children about what their safety plans should be following two reports of attempted child lurings.

Hartnett, in a news release he asked the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office to distribute, said both situations involved 10-year-old boys who said a man asked them to get in his pickup truck.

The first incident occurred about 1:30 p.m. on Friday in which the the subject told the boy if he got into his vehicle, he would give him money and a game;  and the other about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday a block away in the area of state Route 6 and Seventh Avenue where the subject offered an Xbox, according to Hartnett.

In both cases, the children told the man no, they didn’t need a ride because they lived nearby, according to the news release.

The vehicle is described as a dark blue Ford Ranger extended cab pickup with green pinstripe on the door. The driver is described only as a white male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt pulled down over his head.

The truck left east on state Route 6 the first time and westbound after the second incident, according to the marshal.

Hartnett, who has been policing the tiny West Lewis County town since July, said nobody in Pe Ell has seen that vehicle before.

“I’m reaching out to other agencies in the three to four county area to see if they’ve had any similar incidents,” he said.

The marshal commended the youngsters for their responses.

“The boys did an excellent job avoiding the offers to get into the vehicle and reported the incidents to their parents and the parents contacted law enforcement,” he wrote in his news release.

He is requesting anyone with information to contact law enforcement.

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County coroner announced yesterday nothing suspicious was found during an autopsy of an 8-month-old Toledo area baby.

Deputies responded about 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday to the 200 block of Foster Creek Road where the father said he’d found the infant boy in his crib not breathing, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

CPR was conducted and medics responded as well, but the child was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office is investigating the death, but has not revealed why.

Coroner Warren McLeod indicated yesterday there were no signs of trauma to the baby and he doesn’t yet know what caused the death.

It could take three to four months to get back the results of tests, information he needs to make a determination, according to McLeod. The tests are ones automatically done on unexplained infant or child deaths, he said.
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For background, read “News brief: Infant death investigation underway in Toledo area” from Thursday March 5, 2015, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The skeletal remains found last week on a hillside along Kresky Avenue in Chehalis have been positively identified, but the name is being withheld until authorities can locate and notify next-of-kin.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod said the female in her mid-50s was living locally, but no missing person report was filed with police by anyone.

Investigators found papers in a bag near her body with her name on them, and found dental records locally to compare with the remains.

Dr. Kathleen Taylor, the forensic anthropologist at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office made the identification using the records, according to McLeod.

Chehalis Police Department detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said earlier this week their investigation of the death was is in somewhat of a holding pattern, waiting for the coroner to tell them who she was.

As of Tuesday, neither office had been in contact with family of the woman.

The human remains were found by a surveyor about a quarter mile east of the 2200 block of Northeast Kresky Avenue on Feb. 23. Sgt. Wilson estimated she had  been dead about a year. Her cause of death remains undetermined.
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For background, read “Possible ID could come this week of remains found off Kresky Ave.” from Tuesday March 3, 2015, here

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an 8-month-old boy in the Toledo area.

Deputies responded last night to the 200 block of Foster Creek Road because of a report of an aid call about a non-breathing baby with CPR in progress, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies learned the father had found the infant in the crib not breathing, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. Nine-one-one was called and CPR begun, Brown said.

The efforts were unsuccessful, she said.

Brown didn’t say if the death was suspicious or why law enforcement was investigating, but did say no further information will be released until after an autopsy, which could possibly take place tomorrow.

James and Laveta Arnold, left, appear before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Onalaska couple charged with growing lots and lots of marijuana at their rural property pleaded not guilty today.

James L. Arnold and Laveta L. Arnold were arrested on Feb. 10 following an investigation by Centralia Police Department’s Anti-Crime Team and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office into alleged money laundering.

Prosecutors allege they generated about $136,000 a year selling what initially was grown as personal medicinal marijuana.

Police seized more than 40 pounds of marijuana and 614 plants from an indoor garden, along with  cars, trucks, firearms and a den full of mounted animal heads from their home on Griel Road.

The couple were accompanied this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court by Kent attorney Bradley G. Barshis. At least 11 friends, family and supporters sat behind them.

They are free on bail.

In the brief hearing, they pleaded not guilty to manufacture of marijuana, possession with intent to to deliver and with money laundering.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello said he and their lawyer agreed to modify their conditions of release to allow for travel in all of Washington and also northern Oregon, as they have business and ill family to tend to.

Both the Arnolds and their attorney declined to comment outside the courtroom.

A trial was scheduled for the week of May 4.
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For background, read “Onalaska arrests: Big medical marijuana enterprise funded African safaris, say police” from Friday February 13, 2015, here