Lewis County Sirens.com

VACANT HOMES VANDALIZED

• The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a caretaker for a bank-owned house discovered intruders had removed bathroom sinks, wall fixtures, mirrors and even the kitchen’s granite counter top from a vacant Rochester home. A deputy called about 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday to the 16,800 block of Leitner Road Southwest was told all was fine a week earlier but when the caretaker returned on Tuesday, the back french doors were open and several items stolen, sheriff’s Lt. Chris Mealy said. Among the many valuables missing was the alarm system, according to Mealy.

• Centralia police took a report yesterday morning that somebody kicked in the front door of a home being renovated on the 600 block of South Silver Street.

CHURCH BREAK-IN

• Centralia police reported this morning somebody went inside an unlocked church on the 500 block of South Washington Avenue and kicked open a door to steal computer equipment and an unspecified amount of cash from the office. An officer was called about the break-in about 11:30 a.m. yesterday.

DRUGS

• A 29-year-old Centralia man was arrested for possession of heroin and an outstanding felony warrant when he as contacted by an officer yesterday afternoon near the 800 block of West First Street, according to police. Thomas C. Pennypacker was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police arrested someone about 4 a.m. today near Wal-Mart during a traffic stop for possession of methamphetamine. Further details were not readily available.

• Chehalis police were called about 10:45 a.m. yesterday to an unspecified location about the theft of hydrocodone from a residence.

SMASHING WINDOWS

• Aid was summoned to North Tower Avenue overnight for a teenager with blood on his hands and scratches. The call followed police arresting a 17-year-old male just after midnight for allegedly smashing out the windows of two cars elsewhere in Centralia. The un-named teenager was booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center for malicious mischief, according to the Centralia Police Department.

THEFTS

• Chehalis police responded to a report of the theft of jewelry yesterday morning following another theft of unspecified property, both at unspecified locations in Chehalis.

• Chehalis police were called about 8:40 a.m. yesterday to an unspecified address about counterfeit money received by an un-named person.

STICK USED TO STOP DIESEL LEAK

• A pair of jeans that got caught up beneath a semi-truck apparently ruptured a fuel line and caused a diesel spill on Interstate 5 last night that drew a fire department, Department of Transportation personnel and a tow truck driver. Lewis County Fire District 5 was called about 11 p.m. to the east side of the freeway near the U.S. Highway 12 and Avery Road interchange where the truck driver had pulled over after hearing “a lot of noise,” fire Lt. Laura Hanson said this morning. About 30 gallons of diesel had escaped when one of the firefighters plugged the hole in the fuel line with a stick from the side of the road, Hanson said. Responders built a trench to catch the liquid and used absorbent pads to soak up what they could, she said. Hanson said the fuel tank had to be emptied and the truck towed off the freeway.

TOYOTA CAMRY KNOCKS POWER OUT IN ONALASKA / SALKUM AREA

• A 50-year-old Onalaska man apparently escaped injury when he crashed into a PUD substation near Ethel last night. Authorities said  the man was driving too fast and blew through a stop sign before his Toyota Camry collided with transformers at Larmon and Leonard roads knocking them off their legs at about 5 p.m. Power went out in the Onalaska and Salkum area for more than an hour and the wreck cause several thousand dollars damage to the substation, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Steven P. Forbes, 50, was unhurt and was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence, sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust said. Don Taylor, assistant fire chief for Lewis County Fire District 8, said the individual is lucky to be alive. The fire department doesn’t even approach the area inside the fence there until after PUD is called to ensure it is safe, Taylor said. “The quote from everybody is he got handcuffs instead of a plastic bag,” Taylor said this morning.

MINOR COLLISION AND DUI IN CENTRALIA

• A 54-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for driving under the influence after what was described as a minor accident yesterday afternoon at the intersection of Harrison Avenue and Johnson Road. Carol M. Sitton, 54, was cited and then released, according to the Centralia Police Department. Sgt. Brian Warren said he understood she was not booked in part because there were children in the vehicle.

BRUSH FIRE MAY HAVE BEEN STARTED WITH FIREWORKS

• The fire department suspects fireworks might have ignited a grass fire yesterday at the end of Hillberger Road in Chehalis. Lewis County Fire District 6 was called about 2:15 p.m. and found an area about 10 feet by 15 feet burning. An individual fishing nearby had begun dousing it with water jugs, according to Chief Bud Goodwillie. They put water on the fire, and then found some old fireworks there, Goodwillie said.

NURSE ASSAULTED BY ER PATIENT

• Police were called to the emergency room at Providence Centralia Hospital early this morning where a patient allegedly hit a nurse. Jennifer R. Brown, 30, of Centralia, was arrested and booked  into the Lewis County Jail for third-degree assault after the 5:45 a.m. call, according to the Centralia Police Department. The assault resulted in a minor injury to the nurse, police reported.

BRASS KNUCKLES, KNIFE AND SOMEBODY ELSE’S PROPERTY LANDS MAN IN JAIL

• A 22-year-old Grand Mound resident was arrested early this morning for stealing “property” from a vehicle parked in the lot at the 100 block of South Railroad Avenue in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department. Police reported a witness watched as a man was trying various door handles to cars in the parking lot and then enter one of them and take the “property”. Luis Armando Hernandez, 22, was contacted a short time later by an officer and the property was found on him, police reported. It happened around 1 a.m., according to police. Hernandez was booked into the Lewis County Jail for vehicle prowl and also, because he was carrying a butterfly knife and a set of brass knuckles, he was booked as well for possessing dangerous weapons, according to police.

CANDY STOLEN AT SOFTBALL FIELD

• Somebody broke into the concession stand at the girls softball field at Recreation Park in Chehalis and stole candy, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The theft from the park off Southwest 13th Street was reported just after 8 a.m. yesterday. The records of inventory were such that is wasn’t clear how much and exactly what was missing, detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said today.

IDENTITY THEFT INVESTIGATION

• Centralia police took a report yesterday afternoon from the 300 block of South Street that a victim’s identification is being used to pass fake checks.

CAR PROWLER HONKS HORN

• The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday a Rochester resident woke up in the middle of the night to the honking of their car horn but didn’t discover until the following morning somebody had prowled around in their vehicle. Nothing appeared to be missing but the passenger door was left open, detective Sgt. Cheryl Stines said. The incident from the 9500 block of 180th Way Southwest was reported last Thursday and occurred two days before that, Stines said.