Posts Tagged ‘By Sharyn L. Decker’

News brief: Suspect in threat with knife, teeth at Chehalis home booked

Friday, March 25th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 26-year-old man was brought before a judge yesterday afternoon in connection with an incident in which he allegedly barged into a Chehalis apartment with a knife, blaming the resident for his sister getting beat up.

Talen C.A. Maddux allegedly punched the victim, held the weapon near his chest and throat and said at one point he might bite his ear off.

When police arrived to the home on the 200 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue the evening of Jan. 26, they found Justin Steadham visibly shaken, with a bloody nose, according to court documents.

Maddux is charged with second-degree assault, first-degree burglary and attempted first-degree robbery. Court documents show him with a Chehalis address.

A judge yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court set his bail at $75,000.

The charges were filed on Feb. 29, after the victim and a witness identified Maddux from a photo montage, according to court documents.

Police were told Steadham heard a knock on his door and opened it, thinking it was a friend.

The visitor walked in, continued to hit the victim and pushed him onto a couch, the documents allege.

According to the charging documents, while there, Maddux put the knife down and told the victim to go in the bedroom with him to look for valuables. He fled when another individual arrived at the apartment.

Maddux was arrested and booked on Wednesday. The affidavit of probable cause stated he had two active warrants and multiple assault convictions.

His arraignment is scheduled for next Thursday.

Victimized Chihuahua expected to make full recovery

Friday, March 25th, 2016
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Richard J. Eng waits to be taken back to the jail after his court hearing on Wednesday in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The 29-year-old man accused of throwing a small dog against a table in anger told a deputy he and “Spike” don’t have good rapport.

Richard J. Eng reportedly said when he was leaving the Chehalis area home to get away from an argument with his wife, the Chihuahua mix got aggressive and he wanted to avoid getting bit.

“Therefore he picked up Spike and threw him across the house and fled the scene in his vehicle,” Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm wrote in charging documents.

The incident occurred just before 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the residence on the 500 block of Highway 603 southwest of Chehalis.

The responding deputy described the 8-inch tall dog, wrapped in a blanket and being held by its owner, as whimpering with a swollen and bleeding eye.

Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said this morning the pet is expected to make a full recovery.

The two and a half year old pup was examined and treated at Fords Prairie Animal Clinic, Brown said. Spike was bruised and had trauma to his right eye, but was given medication and returned to its owner, according to Brown.

Eng was arrested that night and charged the following day in Lewis County Superior Court with first-degree animal cruelty. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Judge James Lawler allowed Eng to be released from jail on a $20,000 signature bond.

Charging documents and the sheriff’s office give the following account of what took place:

A neighbor called 911 and the arriving deputy made contact with Eng’s wife and her mother. A young boy identified as Eng’s son was in the living room crying.

Eng’s mother-in-law said she was sleeping on the couch with her dog when Eng came downstairs, took the dog from her and threw it against a kitchen table.

She said she got up and went outside and was holding her injured pet in the carport.

As Eng was getting ready to leave, he allegedly grabbed it from her arms and tossed it into an outside garbage can.

The deputy located Eng at Wal-Mart and questioned him.

He reportedly told of being woke up by his wife and having a verbal argument, and then leaving.

When asked if anything happened with a dog, Eng said yes and described a bad experience from the past.

He said several months ago he got bit, when he tried to remove a cheeseburger wrapper from the Chihuahua’s mouth while it was choking.

“Therefore he and Spike do not have good rapport,” Prosecutor Bohm wrote of Eng’s description of their relationship.

So when Eng was leaving the house, he was trying not to get bit, he said. He allegedly admitted throwing Spike a second time because it was barking and/or acting aggressive toward him.

His arraignment is scheduled for March 31 in Lewis County Superior Court.
•••

For background, read “News brief: Angry man injures tiny dog” from Wednesday March 23, 2016, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, March 25th, 2016
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•••

Updated at 6:22 p.m.

PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION

• Chehalis police were called at 10:49 a.m. yesterday to the 300 block of Southwest 16th Street and given second-hand information that a student poked another student in the back with a knife. Further information is not yet available, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called yesterday morning by an individual who said her teenage daughter was reportedly struck by someone earlier this week at the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue. The case remains under investigation, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR THEFT

• Centralia police were dispatched at 6 o’clock this morning to the 700 block of South Ash Street regarding the theft of a black 1997  Honda Accord. The car has a license plate reading 616 YSB, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Police were called about 6:20 p.m. yesterday to take a report that a window to a vehicle was smashed out at the 1300 block of Lum Road in Centralia.

FRAUD

• Chehalis police were called yesterday afternoon to a credit union on the 1500 block of Southwest Market Boulevard where an individual had allegedly deposited a check from a bank that belonged to someone else. The check or checks came from a recent local burglary and the incident is under investigation, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

SHOPLIFTING

• A 20-year-old Chehalis resident was arrested overnight after allegedly stealing a cell phone from the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue. Eric J. Stevens was booked into the Lewis County Jail for retail theft with special circumstances – a felony – as he reportedly had something that allowed him to remove a security device, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Prosecutors declined to file the felony charge today.

FUNNY MONEY SPENT

• A counterfeit one hundred dollar bill was passed at a business on the 1100 block of View Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE

• A 22-year-old Silver Creek resident was brought before a judge yesterday afternoon, charged with four counts of possession of child porn. Kenneth E. Allen has a juvenile conviction for first-degree child molestation and is a registered level three sex offender, according to authorities. A Lewis County Sheriff’s Office detective and a sergeant visited Allen on Wednesday at his home at the Silver Creek Grange, following up on information received from a detective with the Seattle Internet Crimes Against Children unit. Charging documents show the Seattle detective matching up or connecting Twitter accounts, photos of children, IP addresses, email addresses and cyber tips that led to a suspect. The pictures appeared to be girls younger than 11, prosecutors allege. The specific name of the charge is second-degree possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A Lewis County Superior Court judge set his bail at $50,000.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A bicyclist was struck in the back by the mirror to a large pickup truck at the 2700 block of Borst Avenue in Centralia yesterday morning. An officer called about 9 a.m. reports the driver of the vehicle did not stop.

• Two people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after their Mitsubishi Eclipse backed out of a driveway into a passing Toyota Camry on the 100 block of Wallace Road near Toledo yesterday afternoon. A deputy called at 4 p.m. to the scene cited the 24-year-old Hoquiam resident for failure to yield. He and his 39-year-old female passenger from Centralia were both transported, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Both car sustained major damage, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for driving under the influence, driving with suspend license driving without required interlock device; responses for alarm, dispute,  possible fraud, runaway juvenile, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft; complaint of erratic driver  … and more, among 114 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 6 a.m. today.

Remembrance for Ben, Maddy and Sam Tower

Thursday, March 24th, 2016
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More than 400 people came together at the Northwest Sports Hub in Centralia last night to remember Ben, Maddy and Sam Tower.

Wednesday March 23, 2016, Centralia

Watch “Celebration of Life honors Centralia siblings who died in fire” from KING 5 News

And watch “Memorial held for 3 children who died in Centralia house fire” from Q13 Fox News

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“Less than three weeks ago they went to sleep, and they woke up in heaven,” Cyndi Pollard, principal of Evergreen Christian School in Olympia.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, March 24th, 2016
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•••

Updated at 1 p.m.

BURGLARY

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a residence on the 2600 block of Bennett Road outside Centralia was burglarized of three firearms and other valuables totaling more than $4,000. Also missing are three cloth gun cases, a laptop computer, tax information and $1,900 cash, as well as a Nikon camera and lens, according to the sheriff’s office.

• Sometime between 10 a.m. and 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday someone broke into a home on the 200 block of Holcomb Road south of Chehalis and stole more than $5,000 worth of valuables. Missing was a 22 rifle with scope, keys to a car and house, $150 cash and a wooden jewelry box with its contents, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• A deputy was called about 8 a.m. yesterday to investigate break-ins at two Toledo area restaurants. Nothing appeared to be missing but the entry lock systems were damaged at both Mrs. Beesley’s Burgers and Country Kitchen, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office has a suspect, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

AUTO THEFT

• Chehalis police were called just before 5 p.m. yesterday by an individual who said his gray 1999 Volkswagen Jetta disappeared from the 700 block of Southwest Cascade Avenue while it was warming up. The same car apparently had been involved in a hit and run collision 45 minutes earlier at South Pearl and West Pear streets in Centralia, and left its bumper behind, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called about 7:40 a.m. yesterday when a car was discovered missing from the 200 block of Southwest 13th Street. Taken sometime after 7 p.m. on Tuesday was a 1993 four-door Honda Civic described as faded black with chipped paint and a spoiler on its back, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A black 1992 Honda Prelude, with purple wheels, was stolen from the 800 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia sometime between Monday evening and early Tuesday morning, police reported yesterday. The vehicle was locked and no keys were inside, according to the Centralia Police Department. The car has a license plate reading ASJ 7259, according to police.

CAR PROWL

• A small amount of change was stolen from inside a parked and unoccupied vehicle at the 700 block of Marsh Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 12:05 a.m. today.

• Centralia police were called about 8:40 a.m. yesterday regarding a vehicle prowl at the 1400 block of West Main Street. Taken was cash and an identification card, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FRAUD

• Centralia police were called about 8:10 a.m. yesterday to the 200 block of North Pearl Street to take a report of fraudulent activity on a bank account.

• A deputy was called Tuesday afternoon to the 100 block of Harley Road south of Chehalis where an individual said someone had stolen a check from his mailbox, forged his signature and deposited it into a local bank. The loss is $900, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

OTHER THEFT

• Officers took a report of a theft of a lock box that contained money and prescriptions from the 1000 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia on Tuesday. This case is still under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police were called about 11 a.m. on Tuesday to a business on the 200 block of South Pearl Street in Centralia to take a report that two display signs and a clock were stolen. It is not known when the theft occurred, according to the Centralia Police Department.

STRANGER IN GARAGE

• Centralia police were called about 5:40 a.m. yesterday to the 1500 block of Delaware Avenue where a resident reported they woke up and found a stranger inside their garage. The individual punched the intruder several times and the intruder fled, but officers located their suspect a short distance away and arrested him, according to the Centralia Police Department. The male would not give officers his name and was booked into the Lewis County Jail as John Doe, for trespass and obstructing, according to police.

DRUGS

• A 35-year-old Winlock man was arrested for a violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act after he was contacted by a deputy about 1:40 p.m. Tuesday at the 100 block of Brady Lane in Winlock. The deputy was checking on a report of gunfire in the area and pulled into a driveway where one person walked away and the other two people said they had been lighting fireworks, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. After leaving, the deputy realized the person who walked away was present in violation of a no contact order and returned, walked to the rear of the house and located Phillip L. Ray, standing around the corner smiling at him, according to the sheriff’s office. A search incident to his arrest turned up a baggie of suspected methamphetamine, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. Ray was booked into the Lewis County Jail. He was charged with possession of meth and attempted tampering with evidence because he allegedly tried to eat the meth, but the deputy was able to get it back from his mouth, according to authorities. Charging documents state that detective Jeremy Almond pulled the baggie from Ray’s pants pocket and set it on the trunk of his car, and while Almond was retrieving a glass pipe from the other pant’s pocket, Ray leaned over and put his mouth on the baggie. “Det. Almond told the defendant not to do that,” prosecutors wrote.

LOST AND FOUND

• Chehalis police were called to the 1600 block of Louisiana Avenue about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday where a small black bag containing paraphernalia was discovered in the parking lot. It is slated for destruction, according to police.

WAKE-UP CALL

• An officer was called about 8:35 a.m. yesterday because an elderly man was found sleeping in the doorway of a bank on the 400 block of North Market Boulevard in Chehalis. He was asked to move along, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 53-year-old woman was transported to the emergency room at Providence Centralia Hospital with a possible neck injury after her Dodge Caravan was struck in its passenger side by a Kenworth dump truck at about 5:45 p.m. yesterday evening at Highway 603 and Avery Road West south of Napavine, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The van was westbound and stopped at the stop sign but then continued without seeing the southbound truck, according to the sheriff’s office. The van suffered major damage, its driver cited for failure to yield the right of way, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

• A motorist was arrested for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance after police responded to an injury collision involving a tree at K and First streets in Centralia at about 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Centralia Police Department. Leonardo L. Flores-Suaraz was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police. However, prosecutors named the driver 18-year-old Leonardo L. Flores-Martinez from Rochester when they charged him with possession of methamphetamine yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, fighting in public, driving under the influence, driving with suspend license; responses for alarm, dispute, vandalism, shoplifting, hit and run, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor domestic assault, collision on city street, failure to return rental item; complaints of aggressive drivers … and more, among 156 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 6:10 a.m. today.

News brief: Two freeway crashes, three injuries

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – One man was airlifted this morning and another transported to Providence Centralia Hospital following a single-vehicle collision on southbound Interstate 5 near Napavine.

Firefighters called about 5 a.m. to the scene near milepost 70 found the car off the road and in the tress, according to Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue.

“One patient was trapped and had to be extricated, Firefighter Brad Bozarth said. “That patient was flown to a trauma center.”

The Washington State Patrol reported troopers did not know which man was driving the 2003 Lexis. They indicated Jonathan D. George, 19, of Everson, and Robert P. Olson, 26, from Maple Falls, were both taken to Providence.

The wreck follows by less than twelve hours another single-vehicle injury incident just five miles to the south.

Troopers and aid called just after 7 p.m. yesterday to the southbound lanes of the freeway northeast of Winlock found a teenager traveling with two children lost control of his car, headed through a ditch and struck a tree.

Marquis M. Rial, 18, of Centralia, was arrested for driving under the influence.

His 1-year-old passenger was reportedly uninjured but his 12-year-old passenger was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The 1991 Honda Accord was described as totaled.

Rial, who was reportedly unhurt, was booked into the Lewis County Jail also for reckless endangerment, according to the state patrol.

News brief: Angry man injures tiny dog

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Chehalis area man was arrested for allegedly throwing a Chihuahua against a kitchen table, and then grabbing it from the owner’s arms and throwing it into an outside garbage can last night.

Deputies called just before 8 p.m. to the 500 block of Highway 603 spoke to a 58-year-old woman who said it happened following an argument. The 29-year-old suspect had left, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputy noted the 8-inch tall dog’s eye was injured. It was swollen and bleeding and the pet appeared to be in pain, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said this morning.

Its owner said she would be getting the two and a half year old Chihuahua medical assistance right away, Brown said.

Deputies subsequently found the suspect at Wal-Mart and arrested him for first-degree animal cruelty. Richard J. Eng was booked into the Lewis County Jail.