Archive for July, 2015

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, July 31st, 2015
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Updated at 6:57 p.m.

DEMONS, TRENCH COAT AND A RIFLE

• A man wearing only a black trench coat and his underwear, and carrying a rifle, caused a stir yesterday morning in Glenoma when he walked into two businesses and made mention of evil animals. Deputies called about 9:20 a.m. to the 8000 block of U.S. Highway 12 were told he was acting bizarrely, walking along the highway and waving his gun, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Tim English and Morton Police Chief Dan Mortensen arrived, found a trench coat laying outside of East End Auto Center and ordered everyone out of the business, according to authorities. They contacted Aaron C. Sprinkle, 41, who said he’d taken his father’s rifle from their home and it was outside on the ground wrapped up inside the coat, court documents state. “He was talking to people about demons being after him, and things of that nature,” Sheriff’s Cmdr. Dusty Breen said. Breen said it wasn’t clear why he was acting the way he was, as there were no obvious signs of intoxication. Sprinkle’s prior convictions mean he is ineligible to have a gun, Breen said. An individual at the other business said Sprinkle had asked if he could store the gun there, the documents state. He was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. A judge this afternoon set his bail at $50,000. Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke said her temporary client has lived with his parents in Glenoma for the past 11 years.

BURGLARY DOWNTOWN CHEHALIS

• Chehalis police responded about 4:15 a.m. today after someone used a rock to break the window to a business on Northwest Boistfort Street. Missing were about 30 pairs of Ray-Ban sunglasses, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The loss is listed at $3,000, police said.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 12:50 p.m. yesterday to the 1300 block of Alexander Street where an individual reported a burglary to their residence. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FRAUD

• Police were called yesterday by an individual who lost their wallet in Centralia and discovered their bank card was used at a retail business on Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis.

CAR PROWL

• A 53-year-old woman was arrested by Centralia police yesterday for alleged vehicle prowling. Kristina L. Craighead, of Centralia, was booked into the Lewis County Jail last night in a case associated with the 600 block of Harrison Avenue, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police took reports of tools stolen from vehicles yesterday morning at the 600 block of North Gold Street and then at the 1100 block of Scammon Creek Road.

• Someone broke into an 86-year-old Toledo man’s vehicle and stole a garage door opener, a gate opener and a Garmin GPS unit, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It happened at the 200 block of Lone Yew Road sometime after April 1 and before the very early morning hours of Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, misdemeanor theft, protection order violation, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street; request to have a business partner removed from premises; complaints about people “panhandling” … and more.

 

News brief: Grass fire threatens Rochester residences

Friday, July 31st, 2015
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Crews work to extinguish fire on Southwest Bonnie Lane  /  Courtesy photo by West Thurston Regional Fire Authority

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

West Thurston Regional Fire Authority reports five acres burned but the flames have been extinguished with no loss to structures.

Crews were called around 11:40 a.m. to the area along Southwest Bonnie Lane near School Land Road in Rochester.

They were joined by departments from as far away as Tenino.

Six homes, outbuildings and vehicles were threatened, according to the department’s post on Facebook moments ago.

News brief: Investigation into bruises on two Chehalis children moving forward slowly

Friday, July 31st, 2015

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Instead of going forward with an arraignment yesterday, prosecutors released from jail a 22-year-old accused of injuring her boyfriend’s toddlers.

Chandra M. Munsey was arrested last week, held with no bail and then charged on Monday with two counts of second-degree child assault. The judge set her bail at $50,000.

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Chandra M. Munsey

Authorities have revealed little about the case, other than alleging it occurred in Lewis County between Monday and Wednesday of last week.

The boys, ages 2 and 3, were taken from their father into protective custody. Thirty-one-year-old Casiano Baldovinos has said he believes his girlfriend is innocent and that he found his children with bruises when he picked them up from Munsey’s parents home outside of Centralia, and then called police.

Baldovinos and Munsey live together in Chehalis, her lawyer told the court earlier this week.

Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said yesterday he asked the judge to reduce Munsey’s bail to a $10,000 signature bond.

“We’re continuing our investigation, we need more time,” Meagher said as to the reason why.

The court related timelines and deadlines that apply for a defendant who is out of custody are less strict than for those who are locked up, according to Meagher.

“The only way to buy more time is to let her out of jail,” he said.

The documents detailing the allegations have been sealed by the judge at the prosecutor’s request. Meagher indicated the reason for the temporary closure of the records is to prevent information in them from interfering with the sheriff’s office continuing investigation.

Munsey’s arraignment is now expected to take place next Thursday in Lewis County Superior Court.
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For background, read “Lewis County Sheriff’s Office investigating child assault, one arrested” from Tuesday July 28, 2015, here

News brief: Watch police, firefighters, others in action

Friday, July 31st, 2015

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Who wants to see SWAT team equipment up close? Meet a search and rescue dog? Watch firefighters use their extrication tool?

For those curious about emergency responders and the work they do, all that and more can be found in one place tomorrow, in the parking lot of Bethel Church of the Assemblies of God in Napavine.

The public is invited to the four-hour gathering to meet and interact with the many different first responders serving the citizens of Lewis County.

“This event is an opportunity for the community to meet their first responders, see the equipment they use, ask questions, see demonstrations, and interact with the people and agencies that make Lewis County a safer place to live,” Lewis County Sheriff Robert Snaza states in a news release.

It runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. They’re calling it a First Responders Day, and it’s hosted by the sheriff’s office in partnership with numerous local public safety agencies and organizations.

Attendees can watch demonstrations by law enforcement of less lethal weapons, a police pursuit and a K-9 doing its thing, as well as personnel from a Life Flight helicopter in action.

Bethel Church is just east of Interstate 5 at exit 72 in Napavine.

Here is a tentative schedule:

10 a.m. – SWAT Team Equipment Demo
10:30 a.m. – Fire – Hurst Extrication Tool Demo
11 a.m. – Law Enforcement – Less Lethal Demo
11:30 a.m. – Staged Pursuit with Stop Stix Deployment, and K-9 Demo
12:30 p.m. – EMS – Life Flight Helicopter Demo
1 p.m. – SAR – Search Dog Demo
1:30 p.m. –   Q & A

District Court could cease in Morton, if judges get their way

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Lewis County District Court judges are proposing they stop holding court in East Lewis County.

Since 1974, the judges have been required to hold court at least once each month in Morton.

But Judges R.W. Buzzard and Wade Samuelson feel the time has come to end the half day sessions held in the Bob Lyle Community Center.

All the cases are non-criminal traffic violations, averaging about 20 on the schedule each month.

“The small number of people out there who get cited and want to go before a judge, they still can,” Buzzard said. “They can do it in Chehalis.”

The judge’s conversation came as they reviewed the possible change with the Lewis County Board of Commissioners yesterday. The board would have to take official action, after getting advice from a districting committee and also hold a public hearing.

The process could take up to a year, they said.

Samuelson told the commissioners many of the recipients of tickets are travelers and said there are some processes in place for those who don’t simply pay their ticket to deal with them by mail.

Among the reasons they gave for the idea were the costs of three individuals traveling in a county vehicle to a venue that’s lacking customary court security and the usual resources available in their courtrooms in Chehalis at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center.

Buzzard said it’s not fiscally responsible.

The cities of Morton, Mossyrock, Pe Ell and Toledo don’t have their own municipal courts, they contract with Lewis County District Court to handle their cases, according to Buzzard.

Commissioner Gary Stamper who represents that area of the county asked if District Court materials and information might be placed at Morton City Hall.

“I’m not opposed to it,” Stamper said. “I’d just want to make sure we have all our ducks lined up in a row.”

News brief: Logging accident leaves man with head injury

Thursday, July 30th, 2015

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 54-year-old man struck by a large limb while falling timber outside of Rochester this morning was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Centralia area firefighters called about 9:30 a.m. were joined by responders from West Thurston Regional Fire Authority, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

The patient suffered a head injury, including a laceration to the back of his head, according to Firefighter Karl VonBargen.

He was carried on a backboard about 150 feet to a logging road and taken by ambulance to a helicopter landing zone off Nelson Road, according to VonBargen.

The injuries were described as serious.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, July 30th, 2015
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FRAUD CHEHALIS

• Chehalis police were called to a business on the 500 block of West Main Street about 10 o’clock yesterday morning regarding suspected credit card fraud involving a large amount of money, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The case is under investigation, according to police.

BURGLARY TOLEDO

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that a residence on the 700 block of Smokey Valley Road outside of Toledo was burglarized on Monday. It happened sometime between 4 a.m. and 11 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office. Missing is a safe containing documents and silver coins, Cmdr. Dusty Breen said.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Deputies took a report yesterday of a gun stolen from a residence on the 1400 block of Big Hanaford Road outside Centralia. Taken sometime between July 1 and 6 p.m. on Tuesday was a 22 caliber Husqvarna bolt action rifle, according to the  Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. They have no suspect information, the sheriff’s office says.

VEHICLE PROWL

• An individual called police about 1:15 p.m. yesterday after someone stole items from his vehicle, including a chlorine injection pump and a cell phone together worth about $1,000. It happened at the 100 block of Southeast Ninth Street in Chehalis, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

WRECKS

• A 47-year-old test driving a motorcycle was injured when he ran off the road, down an embankment and struck a downed tree yesterday evening. Deputies were called about 7 p.m. to the 1700 block of Ferrier Road outside of Winlock and described the injuries to the Covington man as minor. He was cited for second-degree negligent driving and for having a suspended license and no motorcycle endorsement, according to the  Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• A motorcyclist and his passenger were injured when he pulled out of Morton onto U.S. Highway 12 yesterday afternoon into the path of a semi truck. They didn’t collide but Howard Crowder, 69, lost control of his 2012 Harley Davidson and struck a guard rail, according to the Washington State Patrol. Troopers responding about 4:45 p.m. to the wreck report the cause was failing to yield the right of way. The couple from Hinton, West Virginia were transported to Morton General Hospital, according to the state patrol.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault, possession of marijuana; responses for alarm, dispute, misdemeanor theft, damage to a vehicle, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street, an intoxicated person wandering into someone’s kitchen, a request to have someone removed from a bench on a city sidewalk because he was reportedly asking for money and yelling … and more.