Posts Tagged ‘news reporter’

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Bail set at $150,000 for Randle man accused of sexual assaulting girlfriend

Thursday, February 11th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The arrest of a 21-year-old Randle resident came after the White Pass High School principal came across “disturbing” postings on Facebook which seemed to involve students and notified law enforcement on Monday.

Charging documents filed yesterday in Lewis County Superior Court state a deputy responded to the school and then spoke to former girlfriends of Nickolas J. Hardman-Schmitt and then interviewed him.

The nature of the posts reportedly made by Hardman-Schmitt were not disclosed, but the investigation led to his Monday arrest.

According to charging documents, a 19-year-old who said they dated told the deputy of an instance where Hardman-Schmitt allegedly ignored her telling him no, she did not want to have sex.

A second incident allegedly involved Hardman-Schmitt’s request to role play a rape scene and although she refused, he allegedly went ahead, putting his hands around her throat and squeezing until she saw spots, the documents allege.

During his investigation, Deputy Tim English also spoke with a 13-year-old girl who shared Facebook posts from Hardman-Schmitt in which he repeatedly asked her to be “friends with benefits”, which the girl understood to mean he wanted to have sex with her, the documents state.

Hardman-Schmitt was charged yesterday with two counts of third-degree rape and one count of second-degree assault with sexual motivation as well as felony communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke told the judge yesterday her client had absolutely no criminal history as a bail amount was discussed. She said he has a stable address where he resides with his father.

Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Sara Beigh said the allegations were serious and requested Hardman-Schmitt be held on $150,000 bail.

O’Rourke said Hardman-Schmitt had been working as a cook at a Randle restaurant but was currently unemployed and she believed he qualified for a court appointed attorney.

Judge James Lawler set bail as prosecutors requested and signed orders prohibiting contact with the alleged victims.

Third-degree rape is a class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison. Second-degree assault with sexual motivation holds a maximum penalty of life in prison.

The defendant was initially charged in Lewis County District Court with communication with a minor for immoral purposes, a gross misdemeanor, but that charge was dismissed and re-filed as a felony in Superior Court.

His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 18 in Lewis County Superior Court.

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Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, February 11th, 2016
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•••

Updated at 11:51 a.m.

AUTO THEFT

• Centralia police took a report about 2 o’clock this morning of a 1990 Honda Accord stolen from the 1100 block of South Pearl Street. The car is described as silver in color with a black hood, according to the Centralia Police Department.

POSSIBLE BEAK-IN

• Chehalis police were called about 11:25 a.m. yesterday about a possible burglary on Southwest 10th Street off Market Boulevard. Further details were not available.

PACKAGE THEFT

• Chehalis police were called at 3 p.m. yesterday by an individual who said she was advised an item she’d ordered online had been delivered but didn’t receive it at the 600 block of Northwest West Street. The loss is about $85, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Police were called about 10:45 a.m. yesterday regarding the theft of a car battery, taken from an unoccupied vehicle parked at the 300 block of West Pine Street in Centralia.

FRAUD

• Jennifer M. Mau, of Morton, was arrested last night for criminal impersonation and identity theft, according to the Morton Police Department. Police Chief Roger Morningstar said he could not talk about the details, as an investigation is ongoing. Mau was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

• An individual on Southwest Cascade Avenue called Chehalis police yesterday morning about a possible attempted fraud related to his account information. Further details were not available.

• Chehalis police were called about 1 p.m. yesterday by a person on the 600 block of Southeast Washington Avenue in Chehalis regarding several incidents of identity theft and fraud. Further details were not available.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police were contacted yesterday morning about the children’s play area being spray painted with graffiti at the 200 block of Southwest 13th Street.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, disturbance, hit and run, shoplifting, suicidal person, disorderly students, loud neighbor music … and more, among the 140-plus calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending shortly before 7 a.m. today.

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News brief: Investigation continues into Mandy Road death

Wednesday, February 10th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Coroner’s Office today said they know blunt force injuries are what killed the man found deceased on Mandy Road last week, but the manner of his death won’t be determined until further investigation.

The body of Patrick Pemberton, 48, of Tumwater, was discovered by a passing motorist about 8 p.m. last Thursday, according to authorities.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office said at the time there was no evidence of foul play and they believed Pemberton either jumped or fell from the Interstate 5 overpass above the road.

Witnesses had seen a man walking across the freeway bridge in south Lewis County, acting erratic, the sheriff’s office said.

The coroner’s office today said it has positively identified Pemberton.

•••

For background, read “News brief: Man’s body found on South Lewis County road” from Friday February 5, 2016, here

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Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Wednesday, February 10th, 2016
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•••

Updated at 5:55 p.m.

SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS IN RANDLE

• A 21-year-old man arrested and jailed on Monday in one case found himself facing possible new charges yesterday for incidents that allegedly occurred in November at his home on the 200 block of Silverbrook Road in Randle. Nickolas J. Hardman-Schmitt was arrested at his residence for allegedly talking about sex on Facebook with a young teen and then yesterday at the Lewis County Jail he was additionally booked for second-degree assault and two counts of third-degree rape in connection with alleged encounters with a 19-year-old woman he is acquainted with, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

FROG NEARLY STOLEN

• Chehalis police were called about 5:30 p.m. yesterday to a report that an individual got into a storage area or shed at the 200 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue and took a large wooden frog. The man was confronted and dropped the frog before leaving, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AUTO THEFT

• Centralia police were called about 4:35 a.m. today about a car missing from the parking lot in front of its owner’s home on the 1400 block of Harrison Avenue. There had been a spare key left inside the unlocked blue 1997 Nissan Altima, according to the Centralia Police Department. The license plate is AKJ 8813, according to police.

BACKYARD THEFT

• An individual called Centralia police yesterday from the 2200 block of North Tower Avenue to report a marine battery had vanished from their backyard sometime since December.

MAIL THEFT

• Police were called about 2:40 p.m. yesterday regarding mail stolen from a mailbox on the 3000 block of Russell Road in Centralia.

DRUGS

• A 29-year-old man from Toutle was arrested yesterday for possession of heroin after he was contacted by an officer who was responding to a call about unspecified suspicious circumstances in a commercial area at the 1300 block of Rush Road in Napavine. Craig D. Ballard was standing outside of a vehicle and allegedly admitted he was at the location to purchase heroin, according to court documents. The allegations include that he gave the officer a friend’s name instead of his own when asked, but subsequently acknowledged who he was. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail and charged today in Lewis County Superior Court with identity theft and possession of heroin. His bail was set at $10,000. The suspected heroin reportedly fell out of Ballard’s pocket onto the ground when Officer Noel Shields asked him take his hands out of his pockets.

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

• Chehalis police were called about 10:30 a.m. yesterday about a boom box abandoned in front of a retailer business at the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue which was making people nervous. The radio was wet and was thrown away by an officer, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, failure to transfer vehicle title; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, shoplifting, misdemeanor assault, collision on city street … and more, among the 150 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 4 a.m. today

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News brief: Apartment fire contained to one unit in Chehalis

Wednesday, February 10th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The family pet is okay but the kitchen cabinets burned up when a teenager got distracted while cooking up curly fries at a Chehalis apartment yesterday afternoon.

Firefighters were called just before 4:30 p.m. when a neighbor saw smoke at the Chehalis Avenue Apartments on Southwest Third, according to the Chehalis Fire Department.

“Somebody tried putting it out with a fire extinguisher and everybody evacuated, except the dog,” Fire Capt. Rob Gebhart said.

One crew member attacked the kitchen fire while Gebhart searched for the animal, which he said was ultimately discovered sitting on a couch.

The kitchen cabinets were destroyed, a set of blinds on a sliding door melted and firefighters had to tear out some of the wall, Gebhart said. There was smoke damage as well, he said.

The lesson with the pan of oil is to never leave food cooking on the stove unattended, Gebhart said. The young man got a talking to by the fire department and was pretty distraught, according to the captain.

Another important piece of advice, is even if the particular item someone is making doesn’t call for putting the lid on the pan, it’s wise to keep the lid nearby, Gebhart said. If fire breaks out in a pan, one can cover it up with the lid and smother the flames he said.

The small dog was unhurt, he said.

Gebhart estimated the repairs could be around $15,000.

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Prosecutor uncovers alleged perjured testimony, from state’s own witness

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office says it learned an expert witness it used multiple times was untruthful about her credentials, including on the witness stand in court.

Toni Nelson has worked in Lewis County as a victim’s advocate, and has testified in at three least trials, primarily about delayed reporting in sex crime cases, according to Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer.

Meyer said in the past Nelson had indicated she graduated from a specific college, but he now knows she attended there but left before earning her degree.

Meyer said she also had said she had a nursing degree and was a certified teacher, both of which she admitted to him were not true.

The prosecutor said he was given information tipping him off in early January, did some research and then two weeks ago met with her and asked her specific questions.

“We’re just trying to figure out how widespread this is, ” Meyer said today.

Nelson has worked for the White Pass Community Coalition, the Human Response Network and at one time was associated with Fresh Start, according to Meyer.

The statute of limitations for bringing charges of perjury is three years, and has passed, he said. The last time prosecutors had her testify was 2010, he said.

Meyer said so far they have found Nelson had involvement in approximately five dozen cases with the prosecutors office.

He said now he’s primarily working to contact and make sure victims and defendants are notified.

“She’s had training, but the problem is, once you’re not truthful on the stand, that taints everything you say,” Meyer said.

Centralia attorney Shane O’Rourke is representing Nelson, but indicated he’s restrained from saying specifically when or why he is hired in any client’s case.

“My function is to represent somebody who is presently having significant allegations brought,” O’Rourke said this afternoon.

O’Rourke said he understands how the prosecutor’s office, if they believe they have something like they say they do, would need to look back over cases to try to determine if it could have drastic consequences.

“I can’t talk about any of the particulars at this point,” he said. “There may come a time when I can not be vague.”

He said he’s known Nelson as a professional acquaintance for about eight years, as an individual working in social services, someone known for things such as getting up at 2 o’clock in the morning to give people rides to shelters.

“I think you’d be hard pressed to find many people who have anything negative to say about her involvement,” he said. “And people would attest to the fact that this is a person who has dedicated a huge chunk of her life and career and doing what she could to help other people.”

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Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016
2015.0518.2013.1113.sirenslights5860.secondone

•••

MISSING CAR

• Centralia police were called about 8:15 a.m. yesterday to the 1900 block of Honeysuckle Lane where they were told that a person known to the victim may have taken their vehicle without their permission, according to the Centralia Police Department. Missing was a gray 1997 Honda Civic with a license plate of ATW7541, according to police.

FRAUD

• Chehalis police were called yesterday morning to South Market Boulevard to take a report that an individual got a bill for cable services in the amount of about $300 related to a location in California. It appeared someone had fraudulently used her information, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

IMMORAL COMMUNICATION WITH MINOR

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office yesterday arrested an individual for allegedly talking about sex on Facebook with a young teen. The case is still being investigated, so details are not being released, according to the sheriff’s office. The man was booked into the Lewis County Jail for communication with minor for immoral purposes and is scheduled to appear in Lewis County District Court today.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• One individual was transported to Morton General Hospital after a single-vehicle collision on state Route 508 near Mosswood Park Road about 6:30 p.m. yesterday with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Lewis County Fire District 4.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault; responses for alarm, hit and run, shoplifting, vandalism, custodial interference, protection order violation … and more, among the 136 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending just before 7 a.m. today

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