Lewis County Sirens.com

Updated at 8:52 p.m.

LUCRATIVE BUT UNRULY PASSENGER KICKS CABBIE

• A deputy was called to a Packwood home about 2:30 a.m. on Friday after a resident allegedly stiffed a taxi driver on a $400 fare, a ride into Morton for some drinks and a ride home afterward, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office said that on the way home, the 63-year-old man had the cabbie stop at the Shell Foodmart to hit up the ATM as was their ordinary routine, but for whatever reason it didn’t work and he said he could pay when they got to his house on Cannon Road. The cab driver told a deputy that when he tried to collect his money, his passenger kicked him in the stomach. “The victim did not want to press charges for the assault, he just wanted to get paid,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The case is being referred to prosecutors with a recommendation of a charge for third-degree theft, according to the sheriff’s office. The amount owed included another $200 for a cleanup fee because the customer urinated in the front seat, Brown said.

FAKE MONEY

• Two Centralia men were arrested last night after they allegedly spent a counterfeit $20 bill to make a small purchase at the 500 block of South Tower Avenue and then used the change to buy beer at another store, according to the Centralia Police Department. An officer called about 9:30 p.m. arrested Luke T. Baker, 43, and Thomas J. Roy, 39, for forgery and booked them into the Lewis County Jail, according to police. Sgt. Kurt Reichert said his department is aware of seven or eight fake $20 bills passed in the recent past. How many more are out there? Reichert said he has no idea. Baker is being released without charges pending further investigation. Roy is being held on a warrant.

FAKE NAME

• A 31-year-old Toledo woman was arrested for identity theft because she lied about her name to a deputy on Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy responding to a report of suspicious activity at Gee Cees truck stop on Foster Creek Road near Vader contacted the occupants of a vehicle and one of them said she was Sarah Meyer, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the deputy knew Meyer and knew the woman was not her. The female subsequently identified as Michelle Price, was wanted on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant and was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to Brown.

WINDOW SMASHED

• Deputies are looking for a 23-year-old Rochester man after he allegedly broke a window at his ex-girlfriend’s home on the 1800 block of Lincoln Creek Road early yesterday morning when she refused to let him inside. A deputy responding about 1:40 a.m. reported the loss is about $100, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

VEHICLE PROWL

• Police were called about 7:30 a.m. yesterday about a car prowl on the 500 block of Ash Street in Centralia. Someone broke a window or windows to get inside and took a wallet, a camera and CDs, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called about 12:45 a.m. yesterday to the 600 block of Southwest William Avenue about a laptop computer stolen from a vehicle.

• A 43-year-old Puyallup woman contacted the sheriff’s office about 5 p.m. on Saturday after she discovered someone had prowled her vehicle as it was parked near the Packwood Airport during the community’s flea market event. Missing were two jackets, two Motorola walkie talkies and a GPS device, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It appeared a door was left unlocked, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.

• A purse containing credit cards and an iPhone were stolen from a vehicle parked at the 12,000 block of U.S. Highway 12 between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The victim said she left the pink, fabric shoulder bag on the passenger seat of the unlocked locked vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.

ILLEGAL WEAPON

• A 35-year-old Salkum man, Larry E. Ridgley, stopped on Sunday evening for driving an ATV on the 700 block of Gore Road with a suspended license was subsequently arrested for possession of a dangerous weapon; brass knuckles discovered in  his pants, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

DRUGS

• A 28-year-old homeless man was arrested for possession of heroin about 1:20 a.m. today when a Chehalis police officers stopped two males on bicycles without proper lighting at the 600 block of North National Avenue. Douglas M. Capelli was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police. The officer confiscated about five and half grams of suspected heroin, police said. However, he was charged this afternoon with delivery of a controlled substance in connection with an ongoing case. His defense attorney in arguing for lower bail suggested to a judge Capelli couldn’t be much of a community safety risk given that police didn’t arrest him back in October when they could have. “The reason we’re here now, they’re doing this, is he didn’t follow through on a deal to rat someone out,” Chehalis attorney Bob Schroeter said. His bail was set at $25,000, half of what prosecutors requested.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• A former area attorney who was disbarred was charged with second-degree organized retail theft and possession of methamphetamine, both as a principal or an accomplice in Lewis County Superior Court today. Roland T. Hunter, 52, of Tacoma, appeared before a judge following his Saturday arrest at the Centralia Outlets for his alleged role in a shoplifting spree. Matthew D. Drennan, 36, of Edgewood, was arrested at the same time and charged today with the same offenses. Hunter works in Edgewood selling used cars, defense attorney Bob Schroeter told the judge. Bail was set at $10,000 for both men. Centralia police called about 5:30 p.m. to the shopping center on Lum Road found the pair’s vehicle with merchandise taken from several stores. Schroeter said he didn’t remember the details of Hunter’s troubles as lawyer, but thought he worked in Centralia until several years ago.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence; responses for parking lot hit and run, other non-injury collisions, misdemeanor assault, shoplifting, suspicious circumstances, suspected suicide … and more.

Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013 at 1:13 pm and is filed under Sharyn's sirens roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.