Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Authorities are still trying to track down next-of-kin for the homeless man who died outdoors in freezing temperatures this week, but want in the meantime to share some information to allay fears of those who have family members living on the streets.

He was 57 years old and has been residing in the Centralia area for perhaps a year and half, Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod said this morning. He has also spent time in Aberdeen, he said.

McLeod wants to find and notify his relatives of the death, before releasing the man’s name to the public.

“I’ve gotten calls from three families who have people on the streets,” McLeod said. “It causes a lot of stress for people who have family in that situation.”

Authorities initially revealed very little after he was found dead on Wednesday morning in Centralia’s Rotary Riverside Park off Harrison Avenue. An autopsy confirmed he died of hypothermia from the cold.

Centralia Police Department detective Corey Butcher said he was discovered at one of the covered picnic areas, with all of his belongings, sleeping bag, backpack, food and such.

It’s a sad thing, McLeod said.

“In 2016, in the U.S., one of the most developed countries in the world, that you can curl up and go to sleep and die,” McLeod said.

Temperatures were at 32 degrees in the Twin Cities for most of that night.

McLeod said the dead man’s information lists him as 6-feet tall and 215 pounds. A recent jail booking photo shows him with long black hair, somewhat balding in front and with graying facial hair, he said.

No missing person reports have been found for him, but a check with a nationwide law enforcement database shows he’s had contacts with police in several states, McLeod said.

Those places include, Illinois, Las Vegas, Arizona, Florida and southern California, according to McLeod.
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For background, read “News brief: Man without a home basically froze to death” from Thursday December 15, 2016, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 39-year-old Centralia man arrested for allegedly beating up his girlfriend to get some of her casino winnings was ordered held on $100,000 bail yesterday.

James W. Lowther was brought before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court, charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault.

The incident came to the attention of police about 7 a.m. on Wednesday when they were called to the 1200 block of Windsor Avenue in Centralia where they found the woman, with a cut on her hand, a scrape on her chin and what looked to be blood on her nostrils.

She told the officer she got paid the day before, that evening they went to the Nisqually Red Wind Casino together and she gave Lowther some money to gamble with, according to court documents.

The court documents go on with the following allegations:

They left for home around 2 a.m. and once they got home, Lowther began to argue with her about wanting half of her winnings so he could fix his truck and buy some items.

Lowther had won about $1,300 and she had won about $8,600 playing slots.

They argued until about 6 a.m. when she needed to go to work. He took her car keys and would not give them back, unless she gave him money.

She said at one point she agreed to give him $2,000 if he would let her go to work and as she was about to dial 911, he tackled her to the floor and tried grabbing the money from her brassiere. She said he put her in a headlock until she could not breathe.

She told police she began screaming and then Lowther offered to drive her to work. Once in the car, they argued and he drove instead to an isolated area out Little Hanaford Road where he continued to demand money.

They returned to an area near the residence, he made her pull out her money, count it in front of him and hand it over.

He left. She called 911.

Police later on Wednesday found Lowther hiding in a house in Lewis County. He had $2,384 in his pocket.

Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler scheduled Lowther’s arraignment for next Thursday.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An Onalaska woman convicted of animal cruelty in connection with horses seized from her this past spring was sentenced today to nine days in jail, according to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.

Tuesday April 5, 2016

Jennifer Jenkins appeared in Lewis County District Court in Chehalis this morning. She was convicted by a jury last month of one gross misdemeanor for each of the nine horses.

Judge R.W. Buzzard ordered her taken into custody immediately, Lewis County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said.

Back in April responders were called to Jenkins’ home on the 2500 block of state Route 508 because a small horse had fallen onto its side into a mud hole in her pen. It took more than two hours to get it out and up.

The state veterinarian noted deplorable living conditions and prosecutors filed charges –  violations of Lewis County code – related to inadequate shelter and food.

Jenkins is prohibited from owning any animals for two years and she forfeits all rights to the horses, Meagher said. They’ll now have to be adopted out, he said.

Jenkins who has said she is disabled from the effects of a traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury disputes the findings and has filed motions already in her case. Meagher expects she will appeal. She was represented by attorney David Brown.

Restitution for the animals’ care has not yet been determined, Meagher said.

In an unrelated animal cruelty case, prosecutors decided to drop charges against a Morton area man previously filed in Lewis County Superior Court and refile them in Lewis County District Court.

Richard D. Carlile, 29, was arrested when he went to pick up his dogs from the animal shelter on Sept. 30, thinking they’d they’d broken their chains and wandered away from the camp where he lived in the woods. The pitbulls had been found alone without food or water and in poor condition, according to prosecutors.

Meagher said prosecutors decided the better charges given the evidence are the same charges Jenkins was convicted of, gross misdemeanors.
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For background, read “Onalaska horse owner loses court case” from Tuesday November 1, 2016, here