News brief: Coroner releases name of drowning victim

July 7th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office reports the name of the man pulled from Mayfield Lake is Russell R. Serventi Sr.

The 43-year-old Rochester man was swimming with his teenage son last Friday when he slipped beneath the water’s surface. His body was recovered yesterday afternoon.

The sheriff’s office has indicated Serventi tired out and although his wife attempted to help keep him afloat, she could not.

Coroner Warren McLeod has planned an autopsy for tomorrow to confirm the cause and manner of death.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Drowning victim recovered in Mayfield Lake” from Wednesday July 6, 2016, here

Sirens Afternoon Edition: Daily police and fire roundup

July 6th, 2016
2016.0706.bikecar.wreck

Aftermath of bike and car collision outside Centralia City Hall. /Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

BICYCLIST SERIOUSLY INJURED

• A bicyclist was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital and bound for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after a collision this afternoon with a car at the 100 block of East Maple Street in Centralia. Firefighters called at about 3:30 p.m. report the approximately 55-year-old man was conscious but in serious condition. Centralia police are investigating, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

AUTO THEFT OR, LOST AND FOUND

• Centralia police were called just before 8 a.m. yesterday about a 1988 Honda Accord stolen during the night from the 1000 block of North Pearl Street. It was found later in the day on Winterwood Drive, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police were called about 9:20 a.m. yesterday about another nighttime theft of a Honda, this one a 1997 Honda Civic from the 1200 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia. That car turned up later on G Street, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police yesterday evening recovered a third stolen vehicle, this one located at the 1700 block of North Tower Avenue. It had been stolen several days earlier from the 3000 block of Ives Road, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called yesterday morning to the 1400 block of Lewis Street regarding the theft of a chainsaw from a truck bed overnight.

• Medication and mail were reported stolen from a locked vehicle parked at the 600 block of North Washington Avenue in Centralia yesterday morning. The medication was recovered a short distance away, according to the Centralia Police Department.

YOUNGSTERS ON RAILROAD TRACKS

• Chehalis police were called about 4:15 p.m. yesterday about kids playing on the trestle near Stan Hedwall Park who “almost got hit” by a train. A responding officer wasn’t able to locate them, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

‘WANNA GO TO JAIL’?

• A 26-year-old man was arrested about 1:30 a.m. today when an officer on patrol contacted a couple of people walking in the area of Southwest 15th Street and Wilson Avenue in Chehalis and asked if either one of them had any warrants. One said he did, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Travis C. Harris, from Chehalis, also was in possession of suspected methamphetamine, according to police. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

‘MEDICAL’ METH CONFISCATED

• A 52-year-old man pulled over in Winlock yesterday for driving the wrong way on a one-way street and making a turn without signaling was found to be driving with a suspended license and then subsequently found to have a glass pipe with methamphetamine residue in his backpack. Eric J. Wilson, from Kent, told the officer he used meth for medical purposes and it was no big deal because it will someday be legal, according to Lewis County prosecutors. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail. Wilson has no felony convictions in his past but has had about 50 warrants issued, according to the conversation between lawyers and the judge this afternoon when he was charged in Lewis County Superior Court.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, vandalism, trespassing, civil issue, hit and run, third-degree theft, drug overdose, suspicious circumstances, possible misuse of bank card … and more, among 158 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

News brief: Drowning victim recovered in Mayfield Lake

July 6th, 2016
2016.0705.lcsoplusdiveteam

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office posted photos and updates on Facebook and Twitter of their activities at Mayfield Lake.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The search in Mayfield Lake that began late Friday afternoon for a Rochester man who slipped beneath the surface ended late this afternoon with the recovery of a body presumed to be his.

The body was found approximately 80 feet down and about 90 feet from where the 43-year-old husband and father was last seen, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

His name has not been released.

Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters responding to the 5:15 p.m. call for help on Friday from Ike Kinswa State Park were told the man became too tired to stay afloat as he and his teenage son were swimming back from a buoy. His wife swam out and tried to help him, but was unable to, according to the sheriff’s office.

Members of the sheriff’s office were assisted by the he Pierce County Sheriff’s Department’s dive team on Saturday, yesterday and today.

Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said the search and recovery effort was dangerous and difficult, given the tangle of tree stumps, branches and other underwater debris. The county coroner is expected to release the man’s name at some point.

Mayfield is actually one of two reservoirs created by two dams on the Cowlitz River.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Mayfield Lake drowning victim not located today” from Saturday July 2, 2016 at 8:50 p.m., here

News brief: Train incident victim is Centralia woman

July 6th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An autopsy is scheduled for Friday for the 50-year-old woman who died Monday afternoon after getting hit by a freight train in Centralia.

Her name was released today, she is Sheri L. Dow, a resident of Centralia, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office.

Dow was on foot and walked into the side of the train at the intersection of East Locust Street, near South Railroad Avenue in Centralia, according to authorities.

The Centralia Police Department is investigating.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Woman on foot fatally struck by train” from Tuesday July 5, 2016, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

July 6th, 2016
2015.0518.2013.1113.sirenslights5860.secondone

•••

UNAUTHORIZED ‘RIDE SHARING’ SCHEME ENDS AT GUNPOINT

• Two young woman were apprehended relatively quickly yesterday after they allegedly jumped into an idling unoccupied Jeep Cherokee at a Lewis County gas station and drove off. Deputies were called about 8:15 a.m. about the incident at the Texaco at the 100 block of U.S. Highway 12 near Interstate 5, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle was spotted in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Chehalis and the pair were taken into custody for vehicle theft, according to the sheriff’s office. During the investigation the sheriff’s office learned the two females had been seen about 8:15 p.m. the night before abandoning a stolen Nissan Sentra at the nearby Arco gas station, Brown said. The Nissan went missing from Portland.  The 20-year-old and the 16-year-old said they needed to get back home to Tacoma, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said this morning. Danielle J. Westbrook was booked into the Lewis County Jail and the teenager was booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center, Brown said. The 16-year-old said a large bag of marijuana found on the floor of the Jeep belonged to her, Brown said.

UNRULY INMATE

• A 29-year-old Texan jailed after his arrest for misdemeanors was reportedly so agitated and uncooperative with corrections officers when it came time to change out of his civilian clothes and into a jail outfit, he allegedly repeatedly poked one of them in the chest with his finger. Cordarryl G. Demby was brought to the Lewis County Jail on Friday by a trooper and then a deputy was called over the next day to investigate, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Demby  also reportedly threatened to hospitalize another corrections officer during the incident. He was arrested for third-degree assault and intimidating a public servant, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown reported this morning. However, prosecutors declined to file the charges.

FIRE BREAKS OUT AT SEMINARY HILL

• Ten firefighters worked for about an hour yesterday morning extinguishing what they called a small brush fire in the trees at the base of the Seminary Hill Natural Area off the 800 block of Filed Avenue in Centralia. The cause is under investigation, according to Riverside Fire Authority.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A motorist pulled over about 2:10 a.m. today for allegedly throwing a burning cigarette out the window got to spend the rest of the night in jail because he was arrested for driving under the influence. A deputy contacted Andre J. Leonard, 30, of Olympia, at the 100 block of West Main Street in Centralia, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Leonard was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

Scroll up or go to home page for the rest of the roundup.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

July 5th, 2016
2016.0704.15thstrooffire

Shingles ignite on Chehalis home. / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 6

Updated at 7:59 p.m.

FIREWORKS IGNITE RESIDENCE

• An alert neighbor spotted flames on the roof of a home on Southwest 15th Street near William Avenue in Chehalis about 8:30 p.m. yesterday and got out a garden hose. There were quite a few people in the area lighting off fireworks with their families, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. When the crew arrived, it was still smoking so they put more water on it and found an approximately 24-inch circle burned in the cedar shake roof, Firefighter Kevin Reynolds said. The crew had to wait a couple of hours for a technician from PUD to shut off the power, so they could access the roof and peel back the roofing, Reynolds said. They had to cut out a charred hole in the sheeting the size of a coffee cup, he said.

VIOLENCE

• Centralia police were called just after midnight by an individual at the 1000 block of Eckerson Road who said he’d had an altercation with a male at the store and as he headed back to his motel, he was struck from behind, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Morton police were called about 2:10 p.m. on Saturday to the 300 block of Second Street regarding an assault. Robert J. Johnson, 48, from Morton, was arrested for third-degree assault and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Morton Police Department.

BURGLARY CHEHALIS

• Someone used a rock to break a window to the business office at RMT Equipment on the 1600 block of Bishop Road and left with five Husqvarna chainsaws and cash in the amount of $361.49. The burglary was discovered about 5:10 a.m. on Friday and the loss is about $3,300,  the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning.

BURGLARY VADER

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that a refrigerator and dishwasher were stolen from a vacant house in foreclosure at the 100 block of Tara Lane in Vader sometime between May 16 and last Wednesday. The owner went to check on some vehicles stored there and found the front door forced open, according to the sheriff’s office.

BURGLARY CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 9:35 .m. today for a report of a burglary to a storage shed at the 700 block of East Locust Street. Computer parts and tools were taken, according to the Centralia Police Department. A complete inventory of missing items is pending, according to police.

AUTO THEFT

• A 1996 Honda three-door disappeared from the 3300 block of Ives Road outside Centralia sometime between last Thursday and Friday. The loss is $2,500, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• A stolen vehicle was recovered about 12:30 p.m. on Friday on Southwest Cascade Avenue in Chehalis.

ANIMAL CLINIC HIT WITH THEFT

• Sometime between Friday and Saturday someone broke into a pump house at Fords Prairie Animal Clinic on the 2500 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia and damaged the door frame as well as a gas meter. A water filter was stolen, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called to vehicle prowls yesterday on Southwest Snively Avenue and on Southwest 20th Street.

KIDS DRINKING

• Morton police responding to a 12:55 a.m. call on Sunday to the 200 block of First Street about suspected illegal discharge of fireworks and a possible fight, found several young people and beer cans in the street. Three juveniles were cited for minor in consumption/possession of alcohol and then released, according to the Morton Police Department.

LITTERING

• Centralia police responded about 7:25 p.m. yesterday to find an overwhelming amount of trash in the bushes and in and around transient camps at the end of Lewis Street near the boat launch. The property is owned by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The occupants were warned to clean up their garbage, according to the Centralia Police Department.

PUBLIC ASSIST

• Chehalis police were called by a parent on Saturday afternoon who said their young son wants to be a police officer and wanted to get an autograph from a police officer. It appears Sgt. Gwen Carrell responded to the call for public assistance.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 21-year-old motorist was injured when he fell asleep on U.S. Highway 12 near milepost 66 about eight miles south of Chehalis this afternoon, crossed the centerline and hit two eastbound vehicles at about 3:20 p.m. today. Brady A. Clair, 21, of Longview was hurt but not transported to a hospital, according to the Washington State Patrol. His 2005 Ford F150 pickup was totaled. The occupants of the other vehicles were unhurt and their vehicles still drivable – a Ford F350 work truck and a Chevrolet Silverado pickup, according to the state patrol. Clair was arrested for second-degree negligent driving.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for obstructing, no-contact order violation, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, harassment, misdemeanor assault, sexual assault, collision on city street, noisy neighbor bird    … and more

News brief: Woman on foot fatally struck by train

July 5th, 2016

Updated at 8:06 p.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A woman was struck by a freight train yesterday in Centralia but pronounced dead at the hospital.

Firefighters and police called about 1:40 p.m. to the 100 block of South Railroad Avenue found the patient who was approximately 50 years old, according to authorities.

She was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital where she died, Riverside Fire Authority reports.

It wasn’t the train crew that reported it, because it didn’t happen at the front of the train, according to BNSF spokesperson Gus Melonas. She walked into the side of the southbound train, Melonas said.

The crossing where she was walking when she was hit was at East Locust Street, the same intersection where last summer, Vic Bonagofski fell off his bicycle and was killed by a train.

The BNSF rail lines were closed for approximately 30 minutes yesterday afternoon.

The Centralia Police Department is investigating. The Lewis County Coroner’s Office today said they know who the woman is and are in the process of notifying her next-of-kin. Her name has not been released.