Lewis County Sirens.com

ROUNDUP OF WANTED PERSONS NETS 10

• More than 30 local law enforcement personnel conducted a warrant sweep around Lewis County yesterday, arresting 10 individuals wanted in connection with domestic violence crimes. A news release from Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown indicated officers attempted to clear 199 warrants beginning at 7:30 a.m. and working until midnight, but discovered many of the subjects have moved away from the area. The team effort conducted during Domestic Violence Awareness Month was meant to send a strong message, according to Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer. “(A)n important reminder to those who choose to commit these acts, that the victims, the police, and this office will not simply turn a blind eye to their violence.” Law enforcement will coordinate with outside agencies to locate subjects, where known addresses are, according to Brown. Centralia Police Department Chief Bob Berg noted how domestic violence touches so many in the community, with a national statistic that one in four women is a victim of domestic violence during their lifetime. Recently appointed Undersheriff and candidate for sheriff Rob Snaza stated: “No one deserves to be assaulted, threatened, injured, or in fear of another person. If you know someone who is being abused, please speak up.” Other agencies participating included the state Department of Corrections, and police departments in Chehalis, Morton, Toledo, Winlock and Napavine.

THEFT

•  Centralia police took a report yesterday morning of a mini bike stolen from outside a residence on the 400 block of South Silver Street.

MORE THEFT

• Someone broke the window out of a vehicle parked at the 200 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia and took its stereo, according to a report made to police about 12:30 p.m. yesterday.

• Centralia police were dispatched about 12:40 p.m. yesterday to he 600 block of West Main Street when a backpack was stolen from a vehicle and the suspect was seen fleeing toward Centralia College. Officers arrived in the area, but were unable to locate the suspect, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police took a report about 5:25 p.m. yesterday of a backpack stolen from a vehicle in a parking lot on the 1000 block of Kresky Avenue in Centralia.

DRUGS

• A 28-year-old Centralia man was arrested last night for possession of heroin with intent to deliver in connection with a location at the 100 block of South Oak Street. Ronald R. Filer was booked into the Lewis County Jail after contact with police about 9:20 p.m., according to the Centralia Police Department. A recommendation for the same charge was referred to the prosecutor’s office involving Filer’s 27-year-old girlfriend, but she was not arrested, according to police.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, protection order violation, driving with suspended license, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, hit and run, harassment, suspicious circumstances, collisions on city streets … and more.

HONDA CAR STOLEN

• Centralia police took a report yesterday of green 1995 Honda Accord stolen from the 2000 block of Borst Avenue. It has a license plate reading AFW9059, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called just before 9 a.m. yesterday about food stolen from a locked outdoor cooler on Southwest 13th Street.

MONEY MISSING

• Centralia police were called about 6:20 a.m. today to the 100 block of South Silver Street where a resident reported more than $500 stolen from his wallet overnight. Police say a person of interest is a relative staying at the home.

GAS STOLEN

• Centralia police say they took a report about 3:15 p.m. yesterday regarding the theft of $300 worth of gas from the 1000 block of Belmont Avenue when an individual drove off with the gas nozzle still attached.

DRUGS

• A 20-year-old Centralia man was arrested after police tried to contact him around 4 p.m. yesterday at the 1200 block of Alder Street in Centralia. Nathan A. Cheney had an outstanding warrant and he ran away from officers twice, but then was “taken down” by a Chehalis police dog when he inadvertently ran directly at the arriving dog, according to the Centralia Police Department. Cheney was booked into the Lewis County Jail for his warrant and also for possession of methamphetamine, according to police.

• A 29-year-old Centralia woman brought to the Lewis County Jail for unspecified reasons was arrested yesterday morning for Possession of Methamphetamine and Introducing Contraband in to a Correctional Facility, after jail staff allegedly located drugs paraphernalia hidden on her person, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespass, misdemeanor assault, hit and run, violation of anti-harassment order; responses for disputes, suicide threat, suspicious circumstances … and more.

CHILD ASSAULTED

• Police were called about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to the 200 block of West Main Street in Centralia after an 11-year-old boy was assaulted by a male who punched him in the ribs. The suspect is described as having stars shaved into the back of his head and police are still attempting to find out who he is, according to the Centralia Police Department. Officers have no motive, according to police.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police took a report yesterday regarding a vehicle prowl at the 2000 block of Ahlers Avenue. Taken sometime between 6 p.m. on Friday and 7 a.m. on Monday was a tool bag and a racquetball bag with their contents, according to Officer Patty Finch.

• Chehalis police were called about 5:30 p.m. yesterday regarding a vehicle prowl on the 200 block of Southwest Second Street where two chainsaws were taken from the bed of a pickup truck.

ILLEGAL KNIFE

• A 29-year-old Centralia man found himself in further trouble when he was arrested for a warrant yesterday and he was discovered to have a butterfly knife concealed, according to police. Jeff D. Prindle, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for his warrant and for possession of a dangerous weapon after contact with an officer about 5 p.m. at the 600 block of Centralia College Boulevard in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CHAT INVESTIGATION

• Centralia police took a report yesterday about a man attempting to befriend young boys online, in connection with the 300 block of West Summa Street. The case remains under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

WRECK

• Police and aid called about 7:40 p.m. yesterday to a wreck at North Gold Street near Ham Hill Road in Centralia found the vehicle on its side in the water of a creek there. The driver declined aid but was cited for negligent driving, according to authorities. The incident was caused by driving too fast, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, disputes, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft, collision on city street, request for assistance from inside a gas station store after picking up a hitchhiker in Onalaska who was “freaking out” in the caller’s car outside … and more.

SAFETY MESSAGE OF THE DAY

• The end of daylight saving time on Sunday prompts a reminder about the dangers on the roadways. Nearly half the state’s pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities last year happened between October and January, according to the state Department of Transportation. With increased foggy and rainy weather, and darkness coming earlier, visibility is a challenge, but there are ways to reduce the risk of collisions, DOT says.

Here are their suggestions:

Pedestrians and Bicyclists:

• Be seen – Wear bright or reflective outerwear, carry a flashlight, add lights to your bike or helmet and cross at lighted intersections when possible.

• Make eye contact – Know that the driver is aware of your presence so keep hats, hoods and umbrellas clear of your vision.

• Walk and bike where it’s safest – Use sidewalks and bike lanes when they are available, and if not, walk at the edge of the road facing traffic, and ride with the flow of traffic.

• Cross the roadway at intersections – Crossing in mid-block, or jaywalking, is a contributing circumstance in pedestrian collisions. This applies in parking lots and garages.

Drivers:

• Stop for pedestrians – It’s the law. Drivers must stop for pedestrians at intersections, whether it’s an unmarked or marked crosswalk. It’s also illegal to pass another vehicle stopped for a pedestrian at a crosswalk. Failure to yield to pedestrians is the leading motorist-contributing circumstance in pedestrian collisions.

• Put the phone down – Hand-held cell phone use and texting is prohibited for all Washington drivers and may result in a $124 fine for first offense.

• Watch for pedestrians near schools, community centers and recreation areas – Children aged 1 through 19 are most at risk to be involved in a pedestrian fatality. Senior adults (age 71 or more) make up the other high at-risk age group.

• Drive the posted speed limit – If a driver hits a cyclist or pedestrian at 20 mph or less, there is an estimated 95 percent survival rate compared with much lower rates if the cyclist or pedestrian is struck by vehicles traveling at higher speeds. The extra minutes saved by speeding could cost a life.

Updated at 2:26 p.m.

GUN IN FACE

• Centralia police were called about 10:30 a.m. yesterday to a residence on the 500 block of North Ash Street where a 43-year-old woman allegedly pointed a pistol at her boyfriend’s head during an argument. Jesse M. Lestat was subsequently arrested for first-degree assault, according to the Centralia Police Department. Responding officers were told the 43-year-old man had left the room and gone into another room at their home when Lestat came in with a gun and pointed it at his face. “He was able to take the weapon from her,” Officer Patty Finch said. Lestat was described by officers as possibly under the influence of drugs and extremely hostile, Finch said. She was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

THEFT

• Centralia police took a report yesterday afternoon regarding a burglary at the 2300 block of Eureka Avenue that occurred in the previous “couple of days”, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called about 11:30 a.m. yesterday about food stolen from a utility room on Southwest 19th Street.

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday someone smashed a game cam in a tree and tried to open two roof vents on a travel trailer at the 100 block of Sherwood Lane in Packwood. A deputy who took at the report on Saturday noted the damage was about $400, according to the sheriff’s office.

SUSPECTED FRAUD

• Centralia police were called yesterday afternoon to the 900 block of South Schueber Road to take a report of a forgery to obtain medications.

MAN VERSUS TRAIN

• An intoxicated homeless man was arrested last night after he reportedly stood in front of a moving freight train and then jumped onto its catwalk and headed toward the engine’s cabin. It happened about 10:45 p.m. near the 200 block of Railroad Avenue in Centralia, as the train departed the rail yard, according to the Centralia Police Department. The BNSF freight train employed an emergency stop, according to police. Anthony D. Webb, 49, from Longview, was contacted and denied getting on the train, but was identified by the crew, police report. A department spokesperson said it wasn’t clear what his motivation might have been. Webb was booked into the Lewis County Jail for trespassing and obstructing a train, according to police.

NIGHT TIME DISTURBANCE

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday a 40-year-old Centralia man was arrested after a middle-of-the-night incident at the 2900 block of Yahtahay Lane with an individual walking around a home’s front and rear porch yelling obscenities. Deputies responding to the 3:40 a.m. Sunday call located Zachary K. Greene in the backyard of a vacant neighboring house, according to the sheriff’s office. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree trespass, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

TREE CATCHES FIRE NEAR SKATE PARK

• Firefighters called to Rotary Riverside Park in Centralia about 10:30 p.m. yesterday found a tall hollow tree on fire, burning from the inside out. It appeared to have a cavity large enough for someone to hide out in if they wanted to, but firefighters pulled it apart and put about 500 gallons of water on it, according to Riverside Fire Authority. Police think it was set on fire and are investigating.

LOG TRUCK WRECKS NEAR PE ELL

• The Washington State Patrol says a 1998 Kenworth log truck was totaled when it ran into a ditch along state Route 6 this morning and struck a culvert. Troopers called about 8:35 a.m. to the scene roughly nine miles east of Pe Ell report the driver was injured but not transported to the hospital. The load of logs spilled onto the eastbound lane, according to the state patrol. Vic A. Johnson, 59, from Hoquaim, was headed eastbound when his rig left the roadway, according to the investigating trooper. He was to be cited for “improper lane travel.”

TREE IN ROAD CAUSES WRECK

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday a 34-year-old Onalaska man was uninjured when he was driving in the dark along the 100 block of Shanklin Road near Salkum and hit a downed tree. It happened about 5:30 a.m. last Thursday, and the 2008 Ford F350 traveled down a large embankment and rolled onto its side, according to the sheriff’s office. The driver was able to get  himself out and was unhurt, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

VAN VERSUS POLE

• A 38-year-old Winlock man said he didn’t know what happened when he ended up wrecking into a utility pole and totaling his Chevrolet van on the 100 block of Knowles Road near Winlock on Saturday, according to the  Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy responding about 2:45 p.m. cited the driver for wheels off the roadway and driving with a suspended license, the sheriff’s office reported.

STEERING BREAKS

• A 38-year-old Onalaska man was reportedly uninjured when he totaled his work truck last night southeast of Chehalis. Deputies called about 7:10 p.m. to the 300 block of Middle Fork Road found the 2007 Dodge Ram had overturned. The driver said he was traveling along when it felt like something broke in his steering and he lost control of the pickup, which went into the ditch and then struck the bank, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor theft; responses for disputes, hit and run, no contact order violation,  suspicious circumstances, collisions on city streets, report of a person “snooping” through a cemetery … and more.

Remains of log truck on state Route 6. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol