Updated at 8:28 p.m.
STEALING FOOD
• An officer was called to Wal-Mart about 5:20 a.m. yesterday when a shopper reportedly walked out of the store without paying for a cart filled with groceries such as food, water and paper towels and loaded into a vehicle, told an employee to “F off” off and drove away, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Police tracked down a suspect based on the license plate and the investigation continues, according to detective Sgt. Gary Wilson.
• Chehalis police were called to Wal-Mart on the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue about 4 p.m. on Saturday when a shopper allegedly left the store with a cart full of merchandise but abandoned it before driving away with a woman and two children.
STEALING OTHER THINGS
• Deputies are looking for a 46-year-old Centralia man suspected in a theft or attempted theft of tools, computer equipment and rain gear from the 100 block of Airport Road in Chehalis just before 9 p.m. yesterday. A deputy responding about 9:20 p.m. learned security personnel attempted to contact a suspect who ran off, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
• A 27-year-old Onalaska man was arrested on Friday in connection with credit cards stolen the week before from the 700 block of Burnt Ridge Road. Matthew T. Gorman allegedly used the cards and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree theft as well as identity theft, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
GUN CRIMES
• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that an investigation led to the arrest on Friday of a 51-year-old Salkum woman being illegally in possession of a loaded shotgun. A deputy arrested Laurie Snowden at the 2500 block of U.S. Highway 12; she is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior conviction, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Snowden was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.
• A deputy was called on Saturday to the 100 block of Forest-Napavine Road East regarding a Smith and Wesson 38 special revolver stolen from a 21-year-old man’s vehicle sometime between Aug. 31 and Thursday. The loss is estimated at $600, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
• A 24-year-old Vader man was arrested for an outstanding warrant and possession of methamphetamine after officers responded about 5 p.m. yesterday to a call about a person yelling and going into traffic at the 600 block of West Main Street in Centralia. Victor J. Hobbs was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Centralia police were called about 11:30 a.m. on Saturday to a report of a suspicious male “freaking out” in someone’s yard at the 1100 block of Grand Avenue. He told officer he was hallucinating and had taken acid, according to the Centralia Police Department. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation and a small paper square of the suspected drug was found on him, according to police. Potential charges are pending the results of lab tests, according to police.
CAR CRIMES
• Centralia police were called about 7 a.m. on Saturday to the 700 block of South Rock Street where someone had broken out the window of a vehicle. At about 8:30 a.m., an officer took a report of a car prowl in which a radio was stolen from the 500 block of North Rock Street. Just after 10 a.m., an officer took another report of a vehicle window broken out at the 600 block of North Washington Street.
• Police were called about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to the 300 block of West Summa Street regarding a vehicle prowl in which credit cards were taken and subsequently “compromised”.
BRAWL SPILLS ONTO STREET
• Chehalis police were called about 11:50 p.m. on Saturday to the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue when a witness observed three males in a fight during which a large window was broken out to a business. No injuries were reported but police are following up to find who was involved, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
KID FIGHT
• A playground fight amongst two groups of kids ages 10 to 14 ended with a 13-year-old getting a small cut above his eye on Saturday evening off Southwest 13th Street in Chehalis. Police called about 7:45 p.m. to Penny Playground learned an argument escalated when the 13-year-old threatened another juvenile and he got hit, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Detective Sgt. Gary Wilson said one group of youngsters got a talking to and officers would be contacting the rest. “Technically, they all were disorderly,” Wilson said.
POLICE CHASE, WRECK, CAR FIRE LEADS TO BROKEN BONE, ARREST
• A 24-year-old Chehalis man was arrested for felony eluding after a single-vehicle wreck about 3:45 a.m. yesterday at the northbound Interstate 5 exit to Labree Road near Chehalis. Michael D. Kelly was driving a 2001 Chrysler Concorde that collided with a the guard rail at the northeast corner of the intersection, according to the Washington State Patrol. The crash was blamed on speed and Kelly is facing possible charges of vehicular assault and eluding, according to the state patrol. One passenger, 24-year-old Tanner H. Snell was reportedly unhurt but another, Tyler D. Working, 23, was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital, the investigating trooper. reported. He was treated and then transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a broken ankle. Both passengers are Chehalis residents. Trooper Will Finn said a police pursuit began when Kelly was observed by a trooper speeding eastbound on state Route 508 – 66 mph in a 55 mph zone – and sped away instead of stopping. Speeds on the freeway reached 123 mph and after the car crashed, fire broke out in the engine compartment while Kelly was still seat belted in, Finn said. A trooper and deputy pulled him from the car; he was somewhat uncooperative and a Taser was used on him, Finn said. The other two occupants had gotten out on their own, he said. The fire damage was minimal compared with the collision damage, he said. Kelly was found to be driving on a suspended license, without his required alcohol interlock device, and intoxicated, according to Finn. Working was listed in satisfactory condition this afternoon, according to a hospital spokesperson.
OTHER WRECKS
• A 40-year-old woman sustained minor injuries when she lost control of a vehicle at a sharp corner on the 3200 block of Cooks Hill Road about 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle sustained extensive damage and Kristine M. Hiatt was subsequently booked into the Lewis County Jail for taking a motor vehicle without permission, according to the sheriff’s office. She is also being investigated for driving under the influence and without a valid license, Sgt. Rob Snaza said this morning.
• A motorist was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with minor injuries after a rollover wreck on the 400 block of Leonard Road near Onalaska at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle spun out on a wet road at a sharp curve and landed in a ditch, according to the sheriff’s office.
• A 21-year-old Chehalis resident was cited for driving too fast for conditions when he lost control of his vehicle at the 200 block of Frogner Road west of Chehalis on Friday, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning. The driver attempted to slow at a corner but ended up in the opposite ditch, according to the sheriff’s office.
AND MORE
• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarms, disputes, collisions, shoplifting, other misdemeanor thefts; report that a woman was yelling at cars and bothering people at various places around Chehalis over the weekend – she is transient, new in town and was taken to the hospital for evaluation; report of suspicious person on Chamber Way overpass about 3 a.m. yesterday, possibly using a jackhammer – was a DOT worker … and more.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter