Archive for January, 2014

Overnight fire chases four from Winlock home

Saturday, January 25th, 2014

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A Winlock household is without a home after an overnight fire but working smoke detectors awoke the two adults and two small children who escaped without injury, according to Lewis County Fire District 15.

Four fire departments responded just after 1:30 a.m. to the double-wide mobile home on the 100 block of Evergreen Lane just north of town, according to Assistant Chief Kevin Anderson.

Crews found heavy fire inside the attached garage which had spread into the home itself, according to Anderson.

The blaze was under control just before 3 a.m. but had already caused extensive damage to the structure and its contents, Anderson said in a news release.

Firefighters rescued an adult dog, which is in good condition, he stated.

The cause is under investigation and the Red Cross is assisting to provide the family with temporary shelter.

The little ones are both under two years old, according to Anderson.

Ricky Riffe heads to prison

Friday, January 24th, 2014
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Ricky A. Riffe listens to his lawyer during a court hearing yesterday.

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Ricky A. Riffe is finally off to prison today, nearly two months after he was sentenced to 103 years for the 1985 kidnapping, robbery and murders of Ed and Minnie Maurin.

Riffe, 55, has remained in the Lewis County Jail as he still faces charges that he raped and molested his then-9-year-old step-daughter in the mid-1980s.

The trial was set for next month, but yesterday a judge approved postponing it because of defense attorney John Crowley’s conflict with another trial.

A new date in April was chosen, but Riffe waived his right to a speedy trial all the way into September, so that if any further delays are requested and granted, he would not have to be transported back to Lewis County for a hearing.

The former Mossyrock man who was extradited from his longtime home in King Salmon, Alaska in mid-2012 denies any sexual contact with the alleged victim and is appealing his November conviction in the Maurin case.

He appeared before Lewis County Superior Court Judge Nelson Hunt yesterday for a status review of the child molestation case.

Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said he opposed the continuance, because of how long the matter has been pending. Prosecutors filed the new charges in the old case while Riffe was preparing for the murder trial which subsequently lasted more than six weeks this past fall.

An order was entered yesterday in which lawyers estimate the molestation trial will last four days.
•••

For background, read “Battle continues between Ricky Riffe, Lewis County prosecutors” from Friday January 3, 2014, here

And, “Attorneys dispute statute of limitations rules on surprise child sex charge for Maurin double murder defendant” from Saturday February 23, 2013, here

News brief: Fatal Vader crash was accidental, coroner says

Friday, January 24th, 2014

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The 70-year-old man who was killed in a car wreck on Tuesday morning in Vader died from his injuries, a death that is ruled accidental following an autopsy.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod said that still doesn’t explain why Richard T. Brunaugh missed a stop sign and slammed into a concrete wall across from the south end of Winlock-Vader Road.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office which investigated the wreck said his vehicle was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed and crossed state Route 506 for unknown reasons.

Brunaugh died upon impact and was ejected, according to authorities. He’s from Cottage Grove, Ore.

His cocker spaniel that was traveling with him survived initially, but with severe spinal injuries. The Lewis County Animal Shelter was planning to euthanize the dog on Wednesday after consultation between a local veterinarian and Brunaugh’s former wife who previously co-owned the pet.

McLeod said the pathologist will be conducting further studies to see if there were any contributing factors that led to the accident.

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, January 24th, 2014

DRUGS

• A traffic stop in Chehalis yesterday ended with an arrest when the driver got out, and a glass pipe fell to the ground. He stomped on it, but a field test came up positive so the 45-year-old man was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, according to the Chehalis Police Department. It happened about 1:40 p.m. on Northeast Adams Avenue, according to police. Kurt E. Selbig, from Port Orchard, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, Sgt. Gary Wilson said.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 4 p.m. yesterday about a burglary to a home at the 3400 block of Fords Prairie Avenue. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FUEL THEFT

• Centralia police responded about 9 a.m. yesterday to a report that someone stole gas from about five vehicles at the 300 block of South Pearl Street. In some cases it was siphoned and in others fuel lines were cut, according to the Centralia Police Department.

SPECIAL (UN)DELIVERY

• Someone stole a UPS package from the front step of the 200 block of L Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 1 p.m. yesterday.

CAR TABS TAKEN

• Centralia police took a report yesterday that the tabs were stolen from a vehicle at the 1400 block of Harrison Avenue.

FENDER BENDER

• The damage was minimal and nobody was injured but a Lewis County sheriff’s detective was given a ticket early yesterday morning when his unmarked car struck a pickup truck in the intersection of Center Street and Northwest State Avenue in Chehalis. Detective Tom Callas was making a left turn onto State and didn’t see the southbound vehicle, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The front passenger corner of his Chevrolet Impala struck the driver’s side of the truck, Sgt. Gary Wilson said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, shoplifting; responses for alarms, protection order violation, non-injury collision … and more.

Employee charged in Toledo lottery ticket thefts

Friday, January 24th, 2014

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Toledo convenience store employee blamed for a large drop in revenue at her workplace reportedly admitted to police she may have scratched as many as 500 lottery tickets during each shift without paying for them all.

Katrina M. Bowen was fired at the end of September. This week, she was summonsed to Lewis County Superior Court where she faces a charge of first-degree theft.

The loss is estimated at more than $175,000.

An investigation began on Oct. 1 when the owner of the Flying K store and gas station on the 100 block of Cowlitz Street contacted Police Chief John Brockmueller. Gordon Lovell said over the previous few months he and his wife had noticed a loss in sales and upon further analysis, he found a large number of lottery tickets had been played but not paid for, according to charging documents.

When he confronted Bowen, she told him she was keeping track of her ticket purchases in her head, charging documents state.

When confronted by the police chief, the 37-year-old Winlock woman cried, said she had a gambling problem, had worked there for nine years without a pay raise and needed money to live, according to the allegations.

Bowen estimated that during the previous six months she went through about 500 $5 tickets each day, the documents state. And, she allegedly admitted to pocketing money from beer sales.

Bowen went before a judge on Wednesday afternoon where she was allowed to remain free pending trial with a $10,000 unsecured bond.

It was less than four years ago when another Winlock resident was caught stealing lottery tickets at a local grocery store where he was a longtime trusted employee and store manager. Benjamin C. Macy was given 14 months in prison. The losses to Cedar Village IGA were said to be close to $1 million.

Bowen’s arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday.

Prosecutor: Mom allowed abusive punishment of 4-year-old

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The mother of the 4-year-old Winlock boy whose bruises and wounds led to child assault charges for her live-in boyfriend in December was arrested yesterday, just hours after the boyfriend pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Heather L. McNurlin, 23, was charged in Lewis County Superior Court today with third-degree assault of a child, as an accomplice.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke said McNurlin was present when the abuse was inflicted, and some of it was even her idea. She wasn’t charged earlier, because she was a witness for her boyfriend’s case, O’Rourke said.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office investigation began when the child was brought by his grandmother to the hospital emergency room to be looked at on Nov. 30. Among the boy’s various injuries were bruises on the outsides of his legs he said he got from “knife hand” spankings because he broke house rules by stealing food.

The mother said she and 31-year-old  Ryon T. Connery had been in a dating relationship about four months. The little boy was taken out of the home McNurlin and Connery shared and placed with his grandmother.

Charging documents in McNurlin’s case allege Connery had her permission to punish her child by ordering him, for example, to do “wall sits” for approximately five minutes, sometimes with a weighted bag over his head. In one instance when the boy took bread without permission and also wet his pants, he was taken outside and hosed off with cold water, at night, according to the allegations.

McNurlin explained to a detective her son was on a very strict diet of only fruits and vegetables, the documents state.

The couple attend marital arts classes in Longview, and when queried by a detective, the instructor – a 20-year practitioner of martial arts – said he could not hold a wall sit for more than one minute.

When the boy was brought to the hospital, he had a broken finger he said occurred when he dropped a weight on it, a scraped nose he said was from falling on his face trying to get away from a spanking and he spoke of being dunked in a dirty outdoor pool, according to charging documents.

A doctor who reviewed the case opined the child was malnourished and was the victim of starvation as well as abuse, both mentally and physically, according to the documents.

Connery was initially charged with two charges of second-degree child assault, but O’Rourke told a judge yesterday the evidence didn’t include intention on Connery’s part, so she and defense attorney David Arcuri agreed to one count of third-degree child assault.

Judge Richard Brosey accepted Connery’s guilty plea during the short hearing yesterday morning.

The lawyers said they both will recommend 16 months of incarceration when Connery is sentenced next month.

This afternoon, when McNurlin was brought before Judge Brosey, O’Rourke and defense attorney Bob Schroeter both said McNurlin is working very hard at her parenting classes as required in the dependency action which is underway.

McNurlin’s bail was set at a $5,000 unsecured bond and the judge said she may only have contact with her son as allowed by the court in the separate civil action.

Her arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 1 with a court-appointed attorney.
•••

For background, read “Child assault charged in case of 4-year-old Winlock boy” from Thursday December 5, 2013, here

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

STOVETOP MISHAPS SCARE APARTMENT DWELLERS

• A building in downtown Chehalis was evacuated yesterday morning when an egg carton left on a stovetop caught fire. Firefighters responding about 8:30 a.m. to the 200 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue found a lot of smoke and sent about 20 inhabitants outside, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. The ground floor of the two-story structure is occupied by two restaurants and other tenants such as the Lewis County Gospel Mission while the upper floor has numerous apartments, according to Firefighter Kevin Reynolds. A woman had made breakfast and left for work, he said, and the residual heat from the turned off appliance ignited the carton. The damage was minimal, he said.

• Residents of an apartment building on the 300 block of Southwest Third Street in Chehalis were evacuated last night when a crock pot caught fire at dinner time, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. The pot was on the stovetop and the woman inadvertently turned on the stove instead of the crockpot, Firefighter Kevin Reynolds said.

FALSE ALARM

• Fire trucks and police responded to Cascade Mental Health in Centralia yesterday after a 64-year-old woman reportedly pulled the fire alarm in hopes of getting better service. Officers responding about 1:30 p.m. to the 2400 block of West Reynolds Avenue arrested Sherry L. Palmer for tampering with an alarm, according to the Centralia Police Department. The Chehalis woman was then released, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police began investigating yesterday afternoon a report of multiple tires being slashed at a home on the 800 block of Wayne Drive.

FRAUD

• A woman in her early 60s called police yesterday from the 2800 block of Russell Road in Centralia to report someone had attempted to file a tax return in her name. She got a letter from the Internal Revenue Service saying her claim had been turned down because she hadn’t paid in enough money, Centralia Police Department Sgt. Stacy Denham said. The woman hadn’t actually field a tax return, Denham said. The case is under investigation, he said.

COLLISION

• A 46-year-old driver who missed a 90 degree turn at the 100 block of Jeffries Road west of Chehalis last night was reportedly uninjured but was arrested for driving under the influence. Deputies responding about 7:30 p.m. noted the 2005 Ford Ranger sustained major damage. Kelly L. Olson, of Chehalis, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, vandalism, disorderly conduct; responses for alarms, misdemeanor assault, disorderly person … and more.