Lewis County Sirens.com

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.