Winlock man escapes fire that destroys house

February 12th, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A two-story house just south of Winlock was ravaged by fire yesterday evening and its sole occupant who had been sleeping escaped with minor burns.

Members of five fire departments responded to the approximately 6:10 p.m. call to the 200 block of Walter Road, according to Lewis County Fire District 15.

“The first arriving unit reported a single two-story residence with heavy involvement on the front side, the front porch and extending into the living quarters,” Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Anderson said.

They fought the fire defensively, transitioning out of the active attack after about an hour and forty five minutes, Anderson said.

The roof and second floor collapsed, leaving the home and its contents as a total loss, he said.

The resident who work a night shift had been asleep, but was able to get out with just minor burns to his foot, Anderson said. Some friends took him to the hospital to be checked, he said.

A fire investigator responded to find the cause of the fire, although it didn’t appear suspicious, Anderson said. Crews were on the scene until almost 1 a.m., he said.

Tags: ,
Posted in News briefs | Comments Closed

Morton police: Alleged Facebook shenanigans bring criminal charges

February 11th, 2016
2016.0211.jennifermau8268

Jennifer M. Mau looks toward her temporary defense attorney as her court hearing wraps up.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 36-year-old Morton woman was arrested yesterday, accused of creating a Facebook profile to make it appear her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend posted a threat.

Jennifer M. Mau was booked into the Lewis County Jail last night arrested for criminal impersonation and identity theft, however the charges filed today in Lewis County Superior Court were slightly different.

Judge James Lawler allowed her to be released on a $10,000 signature bond.

The information in charging papers gives the following account of what led to the arrest:

On Christmas Eve, an officer was dispatched to the 700 block of Main Avenue in Morton where Loren Hedge said Mau, his girlfriend, informed him Amber Osmanberg had put up a message on Facebook threatening Hedge and Mau.

The message included statements such as “Just wait till you are sleeping!!”; “You got nerves.”; “I’ll go to jail, I don’t care.”; and “I’ll get you when you least expect it.”

Osmanberg, 31, was the protected party in an order restraining Hedge and Mau from contacting her.

Morton police discovered two accounts for Osmanberg on Facebook, one which appeared to have been created earlier the same day.

Osmanberg denied the message and said she knew nothing about it.

Through a series of warrants served on Facebook, Verizon and Sprint, officers learned the second Facebook profile had been created using Internet Protocol addresses owned by Mau and associated with her cell phone.

When police spoke to Mau at her home yesterday, she denied creating the Facebook account and denied having an issue with Osmanberg.

Mau is charged with second-degree identity theft, a class C felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She is also charged with the gross misdemeanor of malicious prosecution.

Mau is a former a criminal justice student, best known in the past locally for her private endeavors to search for missing children in high profile cases. She was convicted of insurance fraud in 2010 in Lewis County Superior Court, but three years later the Washington State Supreme Court overturned her conviction.

The arraignment in her new case is scheduled for Feb. 25.

Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke told the judge this afternoon Mau is unemployed and qualified for a court-appointed lawyer.

 

Tags: ,
Posted in Top story of the day | 14 Comments »

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

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.

Tags: ,
Posted in Top story of the day | 3 Comments »

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 11th, 2016
2015.0518.2013.1113.sirenslights5860.secondone

•••

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.

Tags: ,
Posted in Sharyn's sirens roundup | 2 Comments »

News brief: Investigation continues into Mandy Road death

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

Tags: ,
Posted in News briefs | Comments Closed

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 10th, 2016
2015.0518.2013.1113.sirenslights5860.secondone

•••

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

Tags: ,
Posted in Sharyn's sirens roundup | Comments Closed

News brief: Apartment fire contained to one unit in Chehalis

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.

Tags: ,
Posted in News briefs | Comments Closed

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »