Archive for January, 2016

News brief: Centralia gas station clerk robbed

Monday, January 11th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A Centralia gas station was robbed at gunpoint early this morning.

Officers responded to a 5:10 a.m. call to the Chevron at 1000 block of Harrison Avenue, but didn’t find a suspect, according to the Centralia Police Department. No injury has been reported.

Police were told a man in his 20s entered the business, asked for cigarettes and then displayed a handgun and demanded money. The clerk complied, according to police.

The subject fled on foot and a track by a police dog was conducted but ended at the freeway, according to police.

The suspect was described as a white male with light facial hair, about 5-feet 9-inches tall and weighing about 175 pounds.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Sunday, January 10th, 2016
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ATV STOLEN

• A green Polaris quad was missing from a shed on the 400 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia on Friday morning.

PROWLING CONTINUES IN CENTRALIA

• Police were called about 1:30 p.m. yesterday to the 300 block of Lakeshore Drive in Centralia where they were told someone broke the door lock on a work truck and removed a work binder.

• Someone stole $25 in coins and miscellaneous other items from a vehicle parked at the 1600 block of Military Road in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 12:30 p.m. yesterday.

• Police were called about 8:50 a.m. yesterday for a car prowl at the 700 block of South Silver Street. Someone apparently used a large rock to break out a passenger window and then stole a purse, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A bag filled with softball equipment was reported stolen from a vehicle parked at the 500 block of South Ash Street in Centralia just before midnight on Friday.

FRAUD

• Centralia police were called on Friday by an individual at he 1300 block of South Gold Street who said several checks were missing from her checkbook and were clearing the bank even though the victim did not issue them.  The investigation is continuing.

ON THE ROAD

• When an officer arrested a 31-year-old Centralia motorist for driving with a suspended license just before 10 p.m. on Friday, his three passengers were all arrested and booked for outstanding warrants. Jeremiah R. Johnson, 31, of Centralia, was arrested and then released after the stop at the 800 block of Harrison Avenue, according to the Centralia Police Department. But booked into the Lewis County Jail were Brandi J. Shea, 34, of Chehalis; John L .Lininger, 42, of Centralia; and Toni L. Maier, 44, of Centralia, according to police.

• It was about 4:20 a.m. today when an officer made contact with a woman in a suspicious vehicle at the 900 block of Yew Street, who allegedly gave police a fake name. Officers concluded she was 21-year-old Kristina S. Bailey, who had two outstanding warrants for her arrest, according to the Centralia Police Department. Bailey was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, reckless driving, disorderly conduct, misdemeanor assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street … go Hawks … and more.

Prison sentencing error allowed convicted Centralia armed burglar out too soon

Saturday, January 9th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Centralia man who should have been released from prison tomorrow for a nighttime burglary in which he exchanged gunfire with a business owner is among those mistakenly let out early because of a software coding error at the state Department of Corrections.

Todd R. Chissus was 30 years old when he was arrested in April 2004 several days after the break-in at Sunny Valley Sales on South Gold Street in Centralia.

Chissus was released on September 28 – more than three months too soon – but is now back in custody, according to to information released yesterday by the state Department of Corrections.

Last month, Gov. Jay Inslee revealed the discovery that as many as 3,200 offenders may have been released early over the course of 13 years.

The problem affected offenders with sentencing enhancements, who were over-credited with good time.

Early estimates from the governor’s office indicated the median number of days offenders were released from prison was 49 days before their correct release date.

As of yesterday, Chissus was among 77 individuals either apprehended or who turned themselves in and were returned to a correctional facility.

The governor last month ordered a halt to releases of potentially affected inmates, until a hand calculation was done to ensure their correct release date.

Also yesterday, DOC said at least 27 individuals committed new crimes during the time while they should have still been locked up.

Chissus was not on that list.

Eight of those 27 are alleged to have committed new felonies while out, including first-degree murder and vehicular homicide.

So far, prison officials have reviewed releases going back to Dec. 17, 2011. The computer error dates back to 2002.

Chissus was convicted in 2005 in Lewis County Superior Court of first-degree burglary with a firearm enhancement.

Nobody else convicted in Lewis County is shown on the documents currently available from the ongoing review.

DOC first learned there was a problem in 2012 and began the process of a sequencing fix, but for reasons undergoing an independent investigation, the repair was repeatedly delayed.

News brief: Motel pool death victim is 55-year-old local woman

Saturday, January 9th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The woman found dead at the indoor pool of a Centralia motel was 55-year-old Theresa M. Kemper, according to the Lewis County coroner.

Police, firefighters and medics responding to a reported accidental drowning just after noon time on Thursday at the King Oscar Motel were unable to resuscitate her.

Centralia Police Department detective Patricia Finch said the victim had been living at the motel for about a week, that she and her sister had moved there from the Winlock area.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod described Kemper as a Centralia resident.

Finch said the death didn’t appear to be suspicious.

The cause and manner of her death, however, won’t be confirmed by the coroner until he receives the results of toxicology tests.
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For background, read “Centralia police: Woman drowns at motel pool” from Friday January 8, 2016, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, January 8th, 2016
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Updated at 1:38 p.m.

AUTO THEFT FROM GARAGE

• Centralia police were called just before 7 a.m. today about a car stolen from inside its garage on the 2100 block of North Pearl Street. The blue 2015 Subaru Outback was taken sometime over the past evening, according to the Centralia Police Department. It has a license plate reading AWN 3125, according to police.

INTERCEPTED DELIVERY

• An officer in the area of the 900 block of F Street in Centralia at about noon yesterday found a FedEx packaging bag lying on the sidewalk. It had been torn open, its contents removed, according to the Centralia Police Department. The victim was not home at the time and a message was left with them, according to police.

• Centralia police were called to the 900 block of E Street about 5:35 p.m. yesterday regarding the theft of mail.

THEFT FROM GARAGE

• Centralia police were called about 12:40 p.m. yesterday to the 200 block of Aurora Street where someone had gone inside an unlocked garage and stolen a bicycle.

CAR PROWL INSIDE GARAGE

• Someone went inside an open garage on the 900 block of E Street in Centralia, got inside an unlocked vehicle and stole a valet key and a diagnostic tool, according to a report made to police about 9:25 a.m. yesterday.

CAR PROWL WHILE MOTOR RUNNING

• Police were called to the 1000 block of West Plum Street in Centralia about 8:30 a.m. yesterday after a woman said she started her car to warm it up and 10 minutes later went back outside and found the car turned off and the key missing.

CAR PROWL

• A GPS device and some paperwork were stolen from a vehicle at the 600 block of K Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 10:50 p.m. yesterday.

• Centralia police took a report yesterday of an unknown person prowling a vehicle at the 2200 block of Eureka Avenue sometime since the previous evening and stealing some “minor” items.

• Police were called to the 900 block of F Street yesterday to take a report that sometime since the previous evening, someone got inside an unlocked vehicle and stole women’s makeup.

• Centralia police were called just before 8 a.m. yesterday regarding a car prowl at the 300 block of East Oakview Avenue. Taken from the unlocked vehicle was an iPod and earphones, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BUCKET OF WEED AND OTHER DRUGS

• Centralia police were called about 10:40 a.m. yesterday when BNSF railroad law enforcement had detained a 41-year-old man for trespassing on the tracks near Locust Street and Railroad Avenue, a local person who was also reportedly carrying a large, clear plastic bucket full of marijuana. Jason W. Dix was arrested for felony possession of marijuana and when searched, officers found suspected methamphetamine, according to the Centralia Police Department. Dix was booked into the Lewis County Jail for two drug offenses, according to police.

• A 20-year-old Centralia woman was arrested after an off-duty officer saw her allegedly shooing up drugs inside a vehicle at the 100 block of Southwest Interstate Avenue in Chehalis at about 11:30 p.m. yesterday. Jodee A. Beckwith was booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession of heroin, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A 27-year-old Centralia man arrested yesterday morning for an outstanding warrant at the 500 block of South Market Boulevard was subsequently arrested also for a violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act as paraphernalia and a brown substance were allegedly found on him, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Joshua G. Dagris was contacted about 8:30 a.m. and then booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Police were called just before 2 p.m. yesterday when a tire was found flat, with slits in it, at Southwest Fifth Street near Market Boulevard in Chehalis.

• Police were called about 11:50 a.m. yesterday regarding vehicle tires found flat at the 100 block of Virginia Drive in Centralia.

LOST AND FOUND

• A driver’s license and other ID cards with no wallet accompanying them were turned into police yesterday after being found laying on the side of the road at the 200 block of Southwest 16th Street in Chehalis. They belong to a 25-year-old Centralia man who can contact the Chehalis Police Department to retrieve them, according to police.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, hit and run, protection order violation, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, disturbance, harassment, civil issues, suicide threat, runaway sighting, misdemeanor theft, homeless person camping in a window well, homeless person’s bed found on a porch … and more.

Centralia police: Woman drowns at motel pool

Friday, January 8th, 2016

Updated at 8:43 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Police, firefighters and medics responded yesterday to a reported accidental drowning of a woman at the indoor pool of a Centralia motel.

Responders called at 12:22 p.m. to the 1000 block of Eckerson Road attempted to resuscitate the female however they were not successful, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Detective Patricia Finch said staff at the King Oscar motel observing the pool area on video surveillance, saw the woman was not moving very much and went to investigate. It appeared she was alone in the pool, Finch said.

“As of right now, nothing appears to be suspicious,” Finch said.

Her name was not released, but Finch said she had been staying at the motel about a week, with family.

The coroner’s office responded and took custody of the victim pending notification of next of kin, according to police.

News brief: Randle wreck with semi sends pair to hospital

Friday, January 8th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Two people were injured yesterday when their sport utility vehicle was hit by a semi truck on U.S. Highway 12 in Randle.

Troopers called about 3:21 p.m. report the 1996 Chevrolet Suburban was eastbound and slowing to turn left onto Kindle Road when the 2003 Volvo tractor behind them failed to slow down and rear-ended them.

Andrew F. Spears, 30, of Onalaska, was transported to Morton General Hospital, as was his passenger, Bobby J. Lynch, 30, also of Onalaska, according to the Washington State Patrol. Both had been wearing seat belts, according to the state patrol.

The truck driver, Paul W. Neilson, 57, from Mossyrock, was reportedly unhurt.

His truck was damaged, but able to be driven away from the scene. The Suburban was described as totaled.

The wreck is blamed on driver inattention, and Neilson was to be issued a citation for second-degree negligent driving, according to the investigating trooper.