Lewis County Sirens.com

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Updated at 6:32 p.m.

CHARGES FILED RE: MARIJUANA PLANTS DISCOVERED AFTER HOUSE FIRE

• A 48-year-old man who vanished after reportedly agreeing to work with law enforcement when a Salkum-area house fire revealed an indoor marijuana growing operation on Christmas Eve day was booked into the Lewis County Jail yesterday on a $10,000 arrest warrant.

Dec. 24, 2016

Timothy A. Neal lives in Oregon, his temporary defense attorney told a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court. Charges filed against Neal for manufacture of marijuana late last month indicate that Neal spoke with a sheriff’s deputy after firefighters passed along information about what they saw inside after extinguishing the blaze on the 200 block of Fuller Road. The large, old two-story farmhouse was destroyed by the fire. Neal allegedly said he stayed there and tended the plants for his landlord, while the landlord was out of town, according to charging documents. The landlord has been summonsed to appear also in Lewis County Superior Court. Judge Andrew Toynbee today agreed Neal could be released from jail pending trial on an unsecured $10,000 bond.

THEFT

• Centralia police were called to the 1100 block of South Scheuber Road at 3:20 p.m. yesterday regarding the theft of two flags and a milk jug.

INVESTIGATION

• Centralia police were called about 12:15 p.m. yesterday to take a report of inappropriate touching involving a child.

DOMESTIC INCIDENT

• A 24-year-old man was arrested yesterday because he allegedly went into the residence where his wife and their three children live in Winlock very early on Tuesday morning where he is prohibited from going because of a protection order. Rylon D. Kurtzbein allegedly had alcohol on his breath when he grabbed his wife by her arms and face, before she slapped him and told him to leave, according to charging papers. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail and then charged today in Lewis County Superior Court with residential burglary and violation of a court order. His bail was set at $20,000.

SEXUAL ABUSE

• A 30-year-old former rural Centralia resident was arrested yesterday following an investigation by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office in which he was accused of twice late last year of engaging in sex with a 13-year-old girl. Frank I. Flores was charged today in Lewis County Superior Court with second-degree rape of a child and his bail was set at $50,000.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, robbery, dispute, civil issue, shoplifting, suicidal person, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances … and more among 150 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

At the 1300 block of Crescent Avenue in Centralia. / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority.

‘TRANSIENTS’ SUSPECTED IN ACCIDENTAL SHED FIRE

• Firefighters suspect carelessly discarded smoking material ignited a fire today in a lean-shed adjacent to a detached garage in north Centralia. A crew called at 12:36 p.m. to the 1300 block of Crescent Avenue put the flames out with a hand-line, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The shed had been broken into and was believed to have been occupied by transients, according to Fire Capt. Tim Adolphsen. The damage was described as light.

GUN MISSING

• A firearm was stolen from a vehicle parked at the 700 block of E Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just before 4 p.m. yesterday.

FRAUD

• Centralia police were called at 3:15 p.m. yesterday to take a report of fraudulent use of a debit card at an ATM on the 600 block of South Tower Avenue.

DRUGS

• A 29-year-old woman from Westport was arrested for possession of methamphetamine yesterday morning after she was pulled over on Forest-Napavine Road by a deputy who randomly ran her registration and discovered she was driving with a suspended license and had outstanding warrants. Meaghan D. Bender was booked into the Lewis County Jail and then charged today with the same offense in Lewis County Superior Court.

• A 52-year-old Chehalis woman was arrested yesterday as she was leaving her apartment on Chehalis Avenue for allegedly selling an unspecified amount of heroin to an informant sometime between last Nov. 1 and Dec. 15. Charging documents allege suspected drugs were discovered in her purse. Jerry L. Peterson was booked into the Lewis County Jail for delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

• A 31-year-old Centralia man was arrested yesterday at a residence on G Street in Centralia for allegedly three times selling heroin to a confidential informant since Jan. 1. Johnny R. Cyr  was booked into the Lewis County Jail for three counts of delivery of a controlled substance in the case investigated by the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 41-year-old driver sustained minor injuries when his Cadillac Seville wrecked along the 1200 block of Pe Ell-McDonald Road in west Lewis County yesterday afternoon, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responding to the approximately 4:30 p.m. rollover crash noted the car appeared totaled. Matthew T. Potter, of Chehalis, was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the sheriff’s office. A search warrant was applied for and granted for a blood draw as Potter showed signs of intoxication, Capt. Curt Spahn said. Potter was later arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jai for driving under the influence, driving with suspended license and an interlock device violation, Spahn said.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, shoplifting, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances … and more among 163 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.