By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Police arrested a suspect this morning in last week’s downtown Centralia jewelry store burglary that ended in gunfire when the adult son of the shop owner who lives upstairs woke up and confronted an intruder rifling through a showcase.
Jeremy Salewsky fired one round that police now know struck the burglar in the lower back, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Officers called about 7 a.m. last Wednesday to Salewsky’s Jewelry shop on the 200 block of North Tower Avenue learned that two masked males fled the area, leaving a trail of dropped jewelry and getting into two getaway cars each with a female behind the wheel.
Detective Sgt. Pat Fitzgerald said today they arrested Justin D. McPherson, 29, of Auburn, as he was being released from a Tacoma hospital about 10:30 a.m. today.
“He’s got an extensive criminal background, he’s well known to police in the Renton, Kent, Auburn area,” Fitzgerald said.
Police are still looking for the getaway cars, described as a red newer model Mercedes and a silver newer Toyota Scion FRS – or a Subaru BRZ. Both had tinted windows.
McPherson’s injury was serious, and detectives actually figured out the following day he was at Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tacoma, according to Fitzgerald. They didn’t however, contact him until this morning, Fitzgerald said.
The bullet was a 45 caliber ACP.
Video surveillance images at the hospital showed a woman in a red Mercedes dropping McPherson – with a gunshot wound – off there about 8 a.m. last Wednesday, according to police.
When the woman, his girlfriend, arrived on Friday evening to visit McPherson, police arrested her, police revealed today. Jennifer Nordyke, 30, of Auburn, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for burglary.
Fitzgerald said the offense for Nordyke is the same, whether she entered the building or not. Sort of like as an accomplice, he said.
The break-in occurred about 6:30 a.m., though Jeremy Salewsky called his father first, and then police were notified.
Fitzgerald said he saw no reason for the younger Salewsky to get in any kind of trouble for shooting the intruder, in the back or otherwise. A final decision on that matter would be up to the prosecutor’s office however, he said.
When police investigated, they found someone had entered the store by cutting a hole in the wall of an adjacent empty business. They broke through the back door of the vacant building next door, Fitzgerald said.
“We’re still trying to make that connection, of how they knew about that place,” he said.
Police were told the masked intruder left through the same hole in the wall.
Detectives continue to pursue leads regarding other aspects of the case, Fitzgerald said.
It’s still not clear what if anything is missing from the jewelry store.
“There was a lot of property left in the adjacent building, and a trail outside,” Fitzgerald said.
Nordyke is being held on $35,00 bail. McPherson will likely have a bail hearing tomorrow afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
Police are still looking for their other two suspects, and the cars. Fitzgerald is asking anyone with any information to call detectives at 360-330-7680.
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For background, read “Breaking news: Centralia jewelry shop burglary interrupted with gunshot” from Wednesday March 20, 2013 at 10:27 a.m., here
Centralia police say the getaway cars looked like these.
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Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
wait wait wait, did OLJ just disagree with DCE?
The Dirty Cop Enforcer wrote: “At Least During The Matthew McKnight Case the Suspect was Armed With A Wallet…..”
But the wallet was empty!!!
If it had a wad of cash, he would still be alive today.
Bust a cap in his ass! I would’ve shot em in the face!
“OldLongJohnson, are you referring to tax dollars given by Salewsky’s?”
If you’re refering to old-money distributed through the Chamber of Commerce and other good-ol-boy organizations, then yes.
You call it a “tax”. I call it the “price of doing business” in modern Kleptocratic america.
I would be genuinely surprised if they bring charges.
I have the nagging feeling that Mr. Brady was not related to old-money or a member of the chamber of commerce.
Please, by all means correct me if i’m wrong!
At Least During The Matthew McKnight Case the Suspect was Armed With A Wallet…..
I believe Mr. Brady was sitting and waiting for his intruders to come back, as he believed they had been there before.
OldLongJohnson, are you referring to tax dollars given by Salewsky’s?
Kudos to Mr. Salewsky for shooting and hitting!
I don’t like Salewsky but I would have done the same thing.
There is a guy and his fiends rice grinders car racers first and G st u can’t mis them he has a red Honda unique right hand drive.
looks like your picture. Would not hurt Berg to do a drive by.
Maybe ask questions cause these guys are into bang boom vroom vroom rice
car scene. J
Ron Brady did not shoot a fleeing felon. Ron Brady shot a felon who was advancing on him on his property. Instead of going to prison he should have gotten a medal for making Lewis County a better place.
Considering this person was sleeping, awoke to an intruder and protected himself and, if I remember correctly, Ron Brady waited in the dark with his gun for those burglars to come back it would seem to me that the difference here is premeditation.
Hard to fault Salewsky for protecting his property, but shooting this guy in the back may come back to haunt him. My guess is that McPherson may already be hearing from lawyers who want to represent him in a civil suit.
“Whatever happened to getting an honest job and working hard to earn your OWN stuff?”
That is so yesterday!!
We live in a Kleptocracy now. Stealing is fine as long as you get away with it. In order to get away with it you must pay off politicians and judges.
It’s the American way. It’s how business is done in the United States.
Do you really believe that “getting a job” and “working hard” will bring success? Look at the MOST successful people in America. They don’t work, they figure out intelligent ways of ripping people off! THAT is success.
Sounds like it would be pretty tough to say “I was in fear for my life” when the guy gets shot in the back while crawling away through a hole in the wall.
Charges seem like they may be in order unless there’s more to the story.
Jonathan Meyer better NOT charge Salewsky with anything. He was protecting himself and his property. What was he supposed to do? Wait until the McPherson takes a shot at him FIRST (and potentially kills him) before he defends himself from masked intruders? Hell no!
He was alone against multiple offenders. He had no way of knowing if one or both of those shitheaps were armed. If he fires a warning shot or alerts them to his presence, then that gives them the distinct advantage of being able to draw their weapons (if they had them) and shoot first. I would have done the exact same thing.
I am so sick of these theiving, worthless, tweakers. Whatever happened to getting an honest job and working hard to earn your OWN stuff? All four of those dumbfucks need to spend about 15 years in prison pondering this concept. Salewsky should have shot the other moron too. They are lucky they aren’t dead.
Did Ron Brady own an old-time jewelry store or give copious amounts of money to the Police and Fire Departments?
If not, then there is your difference!
How is this different than Ron Brady, from Onalaska, who shot and killed fleeing felon McKenzie?
Lets hope charges are not filed against the shooter, but you never know in lewis county
… a 45 acp…
Thought ought to leave a mark!