Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated 11:30 a.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A woman in her 20s died after apparently jumping out of a moving vehicle on Interstate 5 in Centralia last night.

Troopers and aid were called about 7:50 p.m. to the southbound lanes south of the Mellen Street interchange, but the female died at the scene from massive head trauma, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Trooper Ryan Tanner said the van was traveling in the outside lane and she landed on the shoulder next to the guard rail.

The woman had opened the right front passenger door and jumped out near Salzer Creek at milepost 80, according to the state patrol.

Tanner said he didn’t know why.

“It’s obviously not cut and dry in this one, it’s going to take a lot of investigation on our part to try to figure out what happened,” he said.

Her hometown and age are not being released. She did not have any identification on her, he said.

“We’re still trying to figure out a positive ID on the deceased,” Tanner said. “That’s the big thing right now.”

The driver of the van is 49-year-old Robert B. Hicks of Chehalis, according to the patrol. There were no other passengers in the van.

Tanner said the two did not know each other, that Hicks was leaving from a location in Centralia heading to Chehalis and she asked for a ride.

No foul play is suspected, he said.

Troopers were interviewing Hicks as well as other witnesses that saw her prior to the incident when Tanner was briefed last night.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An 18-year-old Mossyrock resident jailed after six firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were stolen from a Mossyrock house in July pleaded guilty today.

Anthony S. Depuisaye-Greene was sentenced to almost 10 years in prison in exchange for giving information to law enforcement to help them recover the pistols, according to the plea agreement

Depuisaye-Greene went before Lewis County Superior Court  Judge James Lawler this afternoon and pleaded guilty to 14 counts instead of 20; they included first-degree burglary, possession of stolen firearms and theft.

Defense attorney Don Blair and Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer told the judge they both recommended Depuisaye-Greene should be sentenced to 116 months. Lawler agreed.

Depuisaye-Greene’s criminal history included only crimes as a juvenile.

Two females were also arrested in connection with the repeated burglaries over an entire weekend.

Depuisaye-Greene and his girlfriend, Dezarai B. Johnson, 18, had fled in a stolen Toyota RAVE to Sequim, where Johnson lives, according to charging documents. They were picked up there by police and one of the guns was recovered at that time.

Prosecutor Meyer said he expects a plea agreement for Johnson. He didn’t say today what was the status of the case against the 17-year-old Mossyrock girl.
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Read “Ammo, half dozen guns stolen in Mossyrock break-ins” from Monday July 25, 2011, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Greenwood Cemetery owner John Baker pleaded not guilty yesterday to a multitude of charges related to him not staying away from the cemetery while under a court order that is set to expire the end of this month, the latest of which involved him allegedly hiding in the bushes trying to make sure photos were taken when temporary caretaker Jennifer Duncan was served with papers.

John Baker

Centralia police were called late last week when Duncan said she was working in the memorial park north of Reynolds Road and spotted the 68-year-old about 200 feet away from her in the brush.

An anti-harassment protection order prevents Baker from being within 500 feet of Duncan or on the cemetery property until Sept. 30.

According to charging documents, a man and a woman came to give her paperwork revoking her power of attorney over Baker, and Duncan ripped up the paper, told them to leave her alone and walked away. Then she saw Baker, who was directing the woman to take pictures of her, according to Duncan.

She told police she already had a copy of the letter and felt he was just harassing her, according to charging documents.

Baker was subsequently arrested at the Chevron station on Harrison Avenue, for violation of a protection order.

The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office however charged Baker with stalking for that incident, plus five counts of violating the anti-harassment protection order in connection with previous episodes going back to the beginning of July.

Baker’s bail was set on Monday at $50,000.

Baker and Duncan, longtime friends, were in court last month and partially resolved a dispute that grew out of an agreement she would operate the cemetery last year while Baker was incarcerated for assault.

After Baker was released, relations between the two deteriorated but she still had the power of attorney and held the license to operate the cemetery.

Duncan told Lewis County Superior Court Commissioner Tracy Mitchell  late last month if she couldn’t get a permanent order banning Baker from the property, she would walk away from care-taking of the cemetery.

The commissioner extended the order just long enough for Duncan to wrap up obligations she’s made to cemetery clients and ordered Baker to file a formal revocation of the power of attorney.

One of the seven current charges against Baker is trespassing, as on Sept. 14, he was found inside his home – adjacent to the cemetery – which now has no electricity and is unfit for habitation, according to charging documents.

He said he had nowhere else to sleep.

Baker’s trial was set for the week of Oct. 31.
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For background, read “Conflict: Who will bury the dead in Greenwood Cemetery?” from Friday Sept. 2, 2011, here