Lewis County Sirens.com

Members of the Chehalis Fire Department tackle multiple grass fires along the freeway. / Courtesy photo

FOUR DEPARTMENTS TO PUT OUT FREEWAY GRASS FIRES

• Chehalis firefighters began getting calls about 4:40 p.m. yesterday of numerous fires along the southbound shoulder of Interstate 5. Firefighter Braxton Traylor said they stretched from about milepost 79 down to milepost 72. Already the closure of the Chamber of Commerce Way overpass changed their response route, according to Traylor. They couldn’t enter the freeway at the 79 interchange, so they headed out Main Street and decided to go south from there, asking Riverside Fire Authority to cover the northern portion, he said. Personnel from Lewis County Fire District 6 and 5 also responded as well to extinguish the burning grass and brush, according to Traylor. The Chehalis Fire Department understood the fires may have been ignited by a motorist dragging a chain or something similar, but Washington State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Will Finn tweeted ” … Tire from semi the cause.” just before 5 p.m. Traylor said it took a couple of hours to get it all put out.

AUTO THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 1:30 a.m. to the 300 block of West Summa Street when the owner of a vehicle came outside as their vehicle was being driven away. It had been left running, according to the Centralia Police Department. However, it was later found, undamaged, in Chehalis, according to police.

ARREST AT FULLERS

• A 26-year-old Centralia resident was arrested for second-degree burglary at the 500 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia at about 7:30 p.m. yesterday. Lucas D. Bryan was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called just before 8 a.m. yesterday about a vehicle prowl at the 100 block of South Diamond Street. Somebody rummaged through the unlocked vehicle but nothing appeared to be missing, was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

TRESPASSING

• Centralia police responding to an approximately 10:25 a.m. call yesterday to the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue ended up arresting a 45-year-old Chehalis man for trespassing and for obstructing a law enforcement officer. Joshua L. Harris was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, probation violation, malicious mischief, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, suspicious circumstances … and more, among 170 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

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Grass and brush burns next to Interstate 5 in Chehalis. / Courtesy photo

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OUT-OF-CONTROL AT ROCK PIT

• A 24-year-old Centralia resident who smelled of intoxicants was finally detained after he allegedly tried to steal four vehicles early yesterday morning, was found at Sterling Breen Crushing at the 800 block of state Route 507, and yelled at deputies to get out of his way as he tried to back up a truck, but could only spin its tires. Deputies responded about 4:30 a.m. to a 911 hang up call and located a suspect at the rock pit, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said he ignored repeated commands to put show his hands and exit the vehicle. Emmanuel Martinez allegedly had also driven a dump truck over a rock pile and nearly into the water, causing an estimated $2,000 damage, Brown said. Two knives were retrieved from the seat beside him, she said. He was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for vehicle theft, burglary and malicious mischief, she said. Brown said he had also poured gas and oil on vehicles, walls and the floor in his father’s garage.

ELBOW TO FACE

• Chehalis police were called about 11:30 p.m. yesterday to Green Hill School to take a report of a student-inmate allegedly assaulting a staff member. The incident between the 17-year-old boy and a 27-year-old man involved an elbow to the face, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The case is being referred to prosecutors for a possible charge of custodial assault, according to police.

ELDERLY RESIDENT SCAMMED

• A man in his 80s reported to Centralia police yesterday he was contacted by phone and told he’d won prize money, and wired $500 to claim it.

SHED BURGLARY

• Police were called to the 100 block of East Carson Street in Centralia yesterday morning where they were told that sometime during the previous week, someone stole a pressure washer and a trimmer from their shed.

AUTO THEFT

• Chehalis police called at 1:30 p.m. yesterday about an abandoned vehicle at the 200 block of Southwest Sixth Street found it had been stolen. The owner of the Honda Civic came and got it, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Sometime between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. yesterday, a black 1995 Honda Accord vanished from where it had been parked at the 100 block of U.S. Highway 12 south of Chehalis. Its owner said she had left the keys on a spare tire next to the car, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The keys, the car and the tire were all missing, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A 2002 Infinity with a license plate reading AUM 867 was reported stolen at about 7:15 a.m. yesterday from the 500 block of South Pearl Street in Centralia.

VEHICLE PROWL

• An officer was called about 2:40 p.m. yesterday about a car prowl at the 1000 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia. Someone took a wallet from the unlocked vehicle, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police were called just before 9 a.m. yesterday to the 1500 block of Northwest State Avenue regarding the discovery of damage to a new vehicle, when someone attempted to remove a “lock box,” according to the Chehalis Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 57-year-old Chehalis woman was uninjured but her 2011 Chevrolet sport utility vehicle sustained major front end damage when she struck a deer on the 2200 block of Pe Ell-McDonald Road at about 5 o’clock yesterday morning.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, probation violation, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, third-degree theft, hit and run, civil issue, suspicious circumstances, barking dog, collision on city street, report of inappropriate touching that occurred more than five years ago  … and more, among 157 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

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Correction: The item involving Green Hill School has been updated to correctly reflect the possible charge.

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Updated at 3:46 p.m.

MAN FINDS STRANGER IN HOUSE ON SEMINARY HILL

• A 29-year-old woman with a gun was arrested after a K-9 track located her talking with a neighbor on a front porch following an interrupted burglary on the 100 block of North Green Street in Centralia yesterday. Police were called at 12:30 p.m. after a resident arrived home to find a female he didn’t know inside his house, but she fled, according to the Centralia Police Department. A police dog with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office responded and found “articles” allegedly dropped by the intruder and subsequently came upon the suspect, according to the sheriff’s office. A Glock with a loaded magazine was found in her backpack, Chief Deputy Bruce Kimsey said. Candice R. Baughman, of Rochester, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree burglary, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine, according to Kimsey.

POLICE: UNRULY DRUNK

• A 27-year-old Chehalis man was arrested yesterday evening after police were called to Southeast Dobson Court for a complaint that a person was pounding on other people’s doors. Police responding to the approximately 7:30 p.m. 911 call found a subject who was intoxicated and allegedly threatened bodily harm to the officer, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Michael K. Franz was arrested for harassment to a criminal justice employee and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

THEFT

• An officer was called late yesterday afternoon to the 200 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue in Chehalis where an individual said a parcel containing medication had been delivered but was not actually received.

• Chehalis police were called just after 3 p.m. yesterday for an overnight vehicle prowl on Southwest William Avenue. A handbag with wallet and a shopping bag were stolen, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Centralia police were called at 9:20 a.m. yesterday to the 100 block of Harrison Avenue about the theft of money sometime during the night.

• Chehalis police were called to the 200 block of Southwest 13th Street just before 8 a.m. yesterday for a vehicle prowl that occurred during the night. Missing were two backpacks and a set of head phones, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 68-year-old Curtis man may have fallen asleep before he drove off the side of the 600 block of Boistfort Road and struck a power pole yesterday afternoon, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy called to the scene about 4:10 p.m. found the 2006 Nissan pickup sustained major damage but the driver was uninjured, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, shoplifting, suicidal person, suspicious circumstances, barking dog, collision on city street … and more, among 153 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.