Archive for May, 2015

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
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MISSING HONDA RECOVERED, ONE IN CUSTODY

• Chehalis police were called about 3:30 a.m. today regarding a Honda Civic stolen from Southwest William Avenue. At about 7:30 a.m., police got word the sheriff’s office found the vehicle on Coal Creek Road, and someone was taken into custody, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

BUSINESS BURGLARY

• Centralia police were called about 6:45 a.m. today to a break-in at a business on the 500 block of West Main Street. Money and other items were stolen from the glass replacement shop, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police were called about 7 p.m. yesterday to the 200 block of Northup Street where an alarm sounded when an unknown person broke a window at a business. No arrest was made, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DOG TRACK

• A Chehalis police dog tracked down a 48-year-old man overnight who allegedly violated a protection order at the 500 block of East Main Street in Centralia. Officers called about 1 a.m. were told he left the scene but the K-9 located him a short distance away, according to the Centralia Police Department. Darren L. Fullerton, of Centralia, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

ALCOHOL THEFT

• A 32-year-old Ashford man released from jail yesterday – from a shoplifting incident the night before in Centralia – was arrested yesterday evening in connection with another  shoplifting incident in Centralia. Officers called about 7:30 p.m. to the Chevron station at the 1000 block of Harrison Avenue were told Bryan R. Morford took a beer without paying, according to the Centralia Police Department. Because he struggled as the officer was trying to handcuff him, Morford was arrested for obstructing a public servant as well as third-degree theft, according to police. He was booked again into the Lewis County Jail.

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

• Police are looking for a 45-year-old Toledo man who allegedly assaulted his wife overnight, grabbing her, hitting her in the face and choking her with both hands until she thought she was going to black out. Deputies called about 2:10 a.m. to the 500 block of Toledo-Vader Road learned he left, and may have headed to the Longview or Kelso area, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

SEXUAL ASSAULT

• A 57-year-old Onalaska man turned himself in yesterday after allegations he crawled into bed with a teenage friend of his daughter’s the night before, an incident that sparked a physical dispute between he and his daughter’s friends. Deputies were called about 3 a.m. on Sunday to an address in Onalaska where they learned the 19-year-old girl said she rolled over in bed to discover her friend’s dad beside her, that he began touching her sexually and wouldn’t stop, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. She said she got away from him and left, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said the daughter confronted her father with at least one other of her friends and some pushing and punching ensued that means the dad is also facing possible charges of fourth-degree assault. Deputies contacted 57-year-old Jeffrey W. Paxton yesterday morning, arrested him for third-degree rape and booked him into the Lewis County Jail, according to Brown.

BEE WRANGLERS TO THE RESCUE

•  Chehalis police were called about 4 p.m. yesterday regarding a big swarm of bees at the 2100 block of North National Avenue, congregating on the larger than life mascot at the entrance to the Yard Birds Mall. Bee wranglers found the honey bees clustered along the beak of the small bird which peeks out from under the wing of the large bird, scooped them up last night and relocated them to Rochester, according to Rob Jenkins, of Bee Wrangler Honey and Bee Rescue.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, drugs, misdemeanor theft, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, vandalism, misdemeanor theft, noisy neighbor music … and more.

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Baby Yard Bird with a beard of bees. / Courtesy photo by Rob Jenkins

News brief: Lightning strike damages Napavine residence

Tuesday, May 19th, 2015

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Firefighters called for smoke inside a Napavine home yesterday evening discovered lightning had struck an approximately 40-foot tall tree, run down the tree, jumped to the corner of the roof and ruined a portion of the family’s electrical system.

It actually ended up damaging two homes, Firefighter Brad Bozarth said.

The Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue crew called about 6 p.m. to the 200 block of Meadow Lane in Napavine found a mother and two youngsters outside, he said. Nobody was hurt.

“They didn’t know what happened, they just saw a big flash and noticed smoke,” Bozarth said.

He described the damage to the roof as involving little pieces of wood everywhere.

Debris was also found on the neighbor’s roof and there, all the electronics inside were ruined, according to Bozarth.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Monday, May 18th, 2015

Updated at 4:13 p.m.

FIGHT OVER KNIFE

• Chehalis police were called about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to the 400 block of North Market Boulevard where someone saw a dispute with a knife involving two young people. When they arrived they found a 19-year-old with a bleeding hand who said a 16-year-old girl with a knife said she was going to stab his tires and they struggled over the knife, according to the Chehalis Police Department. She had left, police said, but was subsequently located and arrested for fourth-degree assault and booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center. She told police it wasn’t a knife, it was her fingernails, a department spokesperson said.

WHAT THE HECK?

• A new arrival at the Lewis County Jail said she had no idea a glass pipe was even there when it fell from near her breast during a strip search on Saturday morning. Joanna M. Withrow, 29, had been booked into the Chehalis facility the night before for reasons the sheriff’s office did not specify, but after the smoking device field tested positive for meth, the Winlock woman was further arrested for possession of a narcotic by a prisoner, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Someone burglarized a home on the 900 block of B Street in Centralia, kicking in the front door and ransacking the place, according to a report made to police at 4:20 p.m. on Saturday.

BREAK-IN CHEHALIS

• An individual called Chehalis police about 5 p.m. on Friday after discovering his garage door open and its door frame broken. Missing from the 700 block of Southwest McFadden Avenue was an air compressor, but it was found, damaged, laying in some brush on the next block, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A deputy took a report of stolen furniture from the 2100 block of Jackson Highway south of Chehalis in which someone stole two chaise lounges and a love seat from a furniture business. The loss is $379, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The items were removed from trucks where they stored sometime after 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to the sheriff’s office.

BREAKING CENTRALIA

• A 32-year-old Ashford resident was arrested for allegedly throwing a rock through the window of a car parked on the 1400 block of South Gold Street in Centralia as well as for shoplifting at South Tower Avenue last night. When officers responded about 9:45 p.m. they found Bryan R. Morford was intoxicated and had a similar rock in his pocket to the one found inside the vehicle earlier, according to police.

AUTO THEFT

• A stolen red Honda was found on Friday afternoon at the 1300 block of Central Boulevard in Centralia. it was returned to its owner and police have no suspects, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FRAUD

• Centralia police took yet another report from a local individual who got a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and demanding money. Police say it is a scam, and they encourage recipients of such calls to call the federal agency to try to confirm.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police got  call about 9:10 a.m. on Saturday from a male at the 800 block of Woodland Avenue who said someone slashed the tires on a rental truck he had just leased.

• Centralia police collected reports of gang-style graffiti discovered on Saturday, on the sides of the viaduct near Kresky Avenue, on a building at Woodland and Alder streets and on another building at the 300 block of East Summa Street.

CAR FIRE

• Chehalis police say it was a wiring issue that caused a car fire, in a vehicle which was occupied by a 5-year-old girl and parked on a city street. Firefighters and police  called around 4 p.m. last Thursday to 400 block of North Prindle Street learned a passerby got the child out as the 2001 Ford Expedition filled with smoke, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The fire was extinguished but the flames melted the dashboard and broke the windshield, according to police. Thirty-two-year-old Chehalis resident Anthony C. Eckerson told police he’d gone into his workplace to get the little one something to eat and brought it out to her, and then had gone back inside to get her something to drink, police department spokesperson Linda Bailey said. Eckerson was issued a criminal citation for leaving a minor child unattended in a vehicle, Bailey said.

COLLISION

• Centralia police responded to the 1300 block of Rose Street following an approximately 10 a.m. call yesterday regarding a hit and run. A 79-year-old Centralia man, Dennis L. Duncan,  was subsequently arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence as well as hit and run, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that a single-vehicle, non-injury wreck in which a 16-year-old driver who was traveling too fast struck a guard rail and then came to rest on the railroad tracks outside of Chehalis is estimated to have cost BNSF $10,000. It happened about 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Rogers Road just east of Shorey Road in a Saturn station wagon, according to the sheriff’s office. The loss is from stopping rail traffic and conducting an inspection of the tracks, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. The teen was issued citations for speeds too fast, no insurance and a learning permit violation, Brown said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespass, shoplifting, misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, vandalism, trespassing, disorderly person, runaway juvenile, protection order violation, suspicious circumstances, street racing on Kresky Avenue, drive-by eggings … and more.

Eruption anniversary: Series of free talks by eyewitnesses, scientists

Saturday, May 16th, 2015
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Mount St. Helens

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mount St. Helens Institute invite the public to join them this weekend as they commemorate the 35th anniversary of the volcano’s eruption.

Today was opening day of the Johnston Ridge Observatory overlooking the crater of Mount St. Helens.

But tomorrow, a unique and free of charge opportunity awaits with a series of 30-minute talks by people whose lives were forever altered by their experiences at Mount St. Helens.

The eruption eyewitness stories event takes place at the Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center, at 19,000 Spirit Lake Highway.

Photos and stories will describe the incredible events leading up to the catastrophic May 18, 1980 eruption and the massive landslide, lateral blast, mudflows and ash cloud that followed. Meet eruption eyewitnesses and leave with an autographed poster or book.

Visitors will hear from a group who stopped for a walk at the South Fork of the Toutle River and then as the lateral blast blew from the mountainside leapt into their truck and found themselves in a race for their lives, from a pair who were camping near Bear Meadows and captured amazing photographs of the collapsing north flank of the volcano and will hear readings from Richard Waitt, from his new book, “In the Path of Destruction: Eyewitness Chronicles of Mount St. Helens.” And more.

The series runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

On Monday, at the same location, another free series of talks features presentations by scientists describing their 35 years of discoveries at the volcano, and includes hands-on demonstrations.

The talks run from noon until 4 p.m.

The center opens at 10 a.m. on Monday, and at 10:30, forest service officials will hold a ceremony commemorating the 1980 eruption. They and invited guests will recall the events of 35 years ago and how Mount St. Helens transformed the landscape surrounding the volcano and their understanding of geologic processes and their influence on the world around us.

DIRECTIONS: The Science and Learning Center is located on state Route 504, 43 miles east of Interstate 5. Take exit 49 off Interstate 5 and head east on state Route 504 for 43 miles until you pass the turn-off for Johnston Ridge. Continue straight ahead a short distance past the turn-off and into the parking lot of the Science and Learning Center.

Also, continuing Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings are public memory gathering experiences in Portland, Vancouver and Longview.

Representatives from the Mount St. Helens Institute invite any and all to join them in sharing stories. They encourage folks to bring photos, scrapbooks, and other items to share.

There is a suggested donation of $5 per person. Food and beverages are available separately for purchase. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the speaker will begin at 6:30 p.m.. All ages are welcome except on Thursday in Longview, which is 21 and over only. Space is limited so arrive early.

Monday, May 18, 2015
Lucky Lab Beer Hall
1945 NW Quimby St, Portland
with Christine Colasurdo

Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Loowit Brewing
507 Columbia St, Vancouver
with Susan Saul

Thursday, May 21, 2015
Hop -N- Grape Smokehouse Pub
924 15th Ave, Longview
with David Freece

News brief: ‘Click it or ticket’ includes buckling up kids

Friday, May 15th, 2015

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Now might be a good time to brush up on properly restraining children when they ride in motor vehicles.

Beginning on Monday, law enforcement officers around Lewis County will participate in extra patrols focusing on seatbelt safety especially regarding youngsters, with the support of the Lewis County DUI Traffic Safety Task Force.

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of unintentional deaths among children in the United States, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. Between 2010 and 2012, in Washington, 26 child passengers age 12 and younger died, and another 122 were seriously injured as a result of traffic crashes.

The majority of these tragedies likely could have been avoided had these children been properly restrained, as dictated by Washington state law, according to a news release from the WTSC.

For example, children under the age of 13 are required to ride in the back seat.

The emphasis patrols involve the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol and police departments in Centralia, Chehalis, Morton, Toledo and Winlock. The current campaign goes until the end of May.

For more information about child passenger safety, check out the law here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, May 15th, 2015

Updated

ASSAULT

• Centralia police were called at 9 p.m. yesterday regarding a 9-year-old child who was reportedly assaulted by a 23-year-old man at the 2000 block of Borst Avenue. The suspect was no longer at he scene and the case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department. The case is labeled fourth-degree assault. Further details were not readily available.

• Chehalis police got multiple calls from witnesses at about 8:20 p.m. yesterday who saw a black Honda Civic pull over at state Route 6 near Riverside Drive  and watched two males get out and assault two other males sitting on a guard rail. When an officer arrived to the area, everyone was gone, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

BURGLARY

• A deputy was called yesterday to the 2600 block of Bennett Road outside Centralia where during the night someone broke into a shed and stole numerous items including a 1987 Suzuki DS80, a Stihl 44 chainsaw, Craftsman tools, two motorcycle helmets and three-quarters of a tank of gas, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• An individual from Northeast Adams Avenue in Chehalis reported to police yesterday they learned their four-wheeled ATV had been stolen from their yard after getting notified by a tow company it was impounded. It was found in Thurston County and it was not clear when it was taken, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

MISSING MEDS

• Centralia police took a report yesterday about medication stolen from a residence on the 1200 block of Alder Street. Officers have a suspect, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

FRAUD

• An individual from Hemlock Street in Centralia contacted police yesterday after finding out someone else filed taxes using her social security number, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called about 1:40 p.m. yesterday regarding a vehicle prowl at the Lewis County Mall on Northeast Hampe Way.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police took a report of gang-style graffiti discovered on a building at the 800 block of North Tower Avenue yesterday that was spray painted there overnight.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespass, shoplifting, driving with suspended license, theft for failing to return items to rental center; responses for alarm, dispute, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft, collisions on city streets … and more.

Still no motive in Chehalis shooting

Friday, May 15th, 2015
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Chan H. Oscar faces a judge in Lewis County Superior Court on charges of first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Updated at 10:11 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Bail was set yesterday afternoon at $500,000 for the 36-year-old man accused of shooting and injuring his cousin in Chehalis.

Chan H. Oscar appeared in Lewis County Superior Court where temporary defense lawyer Joely O’Rourke said she believed he qualified for court appointed counsel.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm argued for the high bail noting Oscar has five superior court cases in his past and an in-progress driving under the influence case.

O’Rourke said her client’s only felony was an eluding case in 2007.

He’s lived here for the past 15 years, has very strong ties and family in the area, O’Rourke said as she appealed to the judge for lesser bail of $50,000.

Oscar is charged with first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

He was arrested shortly after midnight Wednesday when police stopped a vehicle that left a residence he’s been known to stay at, a few blocks from the scene, about three and half hours after the shooting.

Authorities initially said they learned from witnesses that Oscar was walking on the sidewalk on Southwest William Avenue near Fourth Street and fired a round at his cousin’s passing car, and when the car stopped, approached and fired another round which went through his cousin’s hand as he held it by his head to block it.

Charging documents give a slightly different account, making no mention of the suspect walking along the sidewalk beforehand. The court documents state Oscar was a passenger in a sport utility vehicle being driven by a female, and that he got out when the blue Honda pulled into the area, and the rest unfolded.

The un-named female told police Oscar and his cousin, Kevin St. Catherine, had gotten into a verbal argument beforehand.

St. Catherine, 36, from Chehalis, was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital where he was treated and then transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He is listed in satisfactory condition this morning.

Police said they didn’t have a motive for the shooting, but charging documents state that when he was being searched, Oscar turned to one of the officers and asked if he knew what his cousin had done to him first.

Chehalis police said they recovered a  9 mm semi-automatic handgun; charging documents said the loaded handgun was found on his person.

Oscar, who is a Chehalis resident, has six convictions for fourth-degree assault in the past 15 years, including one stemming from an incident in a downtown Centralia bar where he was arrested after a tussle and he stabbed two men. He and his lawyer contended it was self-defense and he made an Alford plea and spent seven weeks in jail.

His arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday.

Also arrested was 50-year-old Lenard A. Carlile who was a passenger in the vehicle that police found Oscar in. Carlile was charged yesterday with rendering criminal assistance.

Charging documents state that at one point during the manhunt, an officer spoke to Carlile who was on his porch on the 700 block of Pacific Avenue and asked if he’d seen anybody (black or white) about 6 feet tall in the area. He said he hadn’t.

O’Rourke told the judge yesterday afternoon Carlile has worked at Dennys and lived nearby for the past 10 years, in suggesting he was not a big flight risk.

She pointed out his family and friends were in the courtroom to support him.

Judge James Lawler set his bail at $10,000.

Carlile’s grown daughter Crystal Carlile said outside the courtroom her dad didn’t know Oscar was wanted, that Oscar is just a guy her dad allowed to stay at his place in the recent past.

Her brother was driving, and they were just headed to get a bite to eat or something, she said.

His arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday as well.
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For background, read “Police: Chehalis resident jailed for shooting cousin on neighborhood street” from Thursday May 14, 2015, here