Winlock murder suspect to be evaluated by psychologist

June 15th, 2018

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Winlock man who allegedly gunned down his neighbor in his neighbor’s driveway late last month pleaded not guilty yesterday to first-degree murder.

Randolph Thomas Graham, 58, appeared before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court, represented by defense attorney David Arcuri. A jury trial was put on the calendar for the week of August 6.

Randall J. Lester, 44, of Winlock, had been playing basketball with his 15-year-old son when Graham pulled up, brandished a firearm and fired multiple rounds on the evening of May 23, prosecutors allege. The boy was able to run to safety.

Graham was arrested at his house when Lewis County Regional SWAT entered his residence after he refused to surrender.

Arcuri requested and was granted authorization for a psychological evaluation to be conducted on his client, to determine his mental competency to stand trial and also his mental status at the time of the alleged crime, according to a court filing from May 31.

The investigation revealed there was an ongoing dispute between the two men, according to Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer.

Authorities said Lester was struck once in the chest, twice in his back and once near the base of his skull. Bullet holes in the residence appeared to follow the general path taken by the teen as he was fleeing the area, according to Meyer.

Graham also pleaded not guilty yesterday to first-degree assault and drive-by shooting.

He remains in the Lewis County Jail, held on $5 million bail.
•••

For background, read: “Prosecutor: Fatal shot near base of Winlock victim’s skull” from Wednesday May 30, 2018, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

June 15th, 2018
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•••

POTENTIAL BURGLARY

• A deputy was called yesterday morning to investigate a suspected burglary to a wooden shed containing donated clothing at the 2700 block of North Pearl Street in Centralia. The total damage is approximately $40 and it’s unknown what may have been removed from the shed, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Chehalis police were called to the 2000 block of Kresky Avenue about 12:35 p.m. yesterday because it appeared someone had attempted to break in to buildings/containers at that location.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police were called to the 2000 block of North Tower Avenue about 6:50 p.m. yesterday for a report of vehicle tires being slashed overnight.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence, fourth-degree assault, protection order violation, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vehicle collision, disorderly person, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft … and more among 154 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

News brief: Fire claims Packwood residence

June 14th, 2018
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A fire on Powerhouse Road is under investigation / Courtesy photo by Ted McCarty

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Four residents escaped unharmed with their pets when a fire broke out in their Packwood home this morning.

The house on Powerhouse Road is a complete loss; it burned hot and fast, Fire Investigator Ted McCarty said.

Lewis County Fire District 10 responding to the 8:08 a.m. call arrived to find the residence fully engulfed in flames, McCarty said.

The young adult renters had been sleeping, McCarty said. One young man heard noise in the living room and when he opened his bedroom door, was met with a wall of smoke and fire, he said. He yelled to alert the others who were in the lower level.

McCarty said the metal roof above a composition roof kept the heat inside until the windows blew out.

They said they had smoke detectors but did not hear them go off, according to McCarty. The cause is under investigation.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

June 14th, 2018
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•••

BREAK-IN CHEHALIS

• Chehalis police were called to the 100 block of North Market Boulevard at 8:15 a.m. yesterday for a burglary to a business in which the back door was broken out and money stolen from the till.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called to the 400 block of Harrison Avenue just before noon yesterday following the discovery a lock to a shed had been broken at some point during the night. It appeared that entry was not gained, according to the Centralia Police Department.

THEFT

• A tablet was stolen from the 1200 block of B Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 3:10 p.m. yesterday.

• Police were called to the 500 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia about 10:20 a.m. yesterday where an individual reported the theft of gasoline from their vehicle.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called to the 700 block of Northwest Liberty Place in about 8:10 a.m. yesterday for a vehicle prowl in which a window was broken out.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police were called to the 2300 block of North Pearl Street about 6:10 a.m. today where windows had been broken out of a building.

• Centralia police were called to the 700 block of Harrison Avenue about 7:50 p.m. yesterday for a report that a man had punched out a window of a business. The suspect, a 39-year-old Centralia resident, fled the scene and wasn’t located but a summons was issued for him for third-degree malicious mischief and sent to the city attorney, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• An unknown person broke an exterior faucet on the side of a house at the 500 block of South Pearl Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 10:45 a.m. yesterday.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, trespassing, driving with suspended license, protection order violation; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, civil issue, vehicle collision, disorderly person, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft, misdemeanor domestic assault … and more among 159 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

June 13th, 2018
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•••

Updated

KNIFE FIGHT

• A 67-year-old Chehalis woman who allegedly waved a knife in front of her former roommate at the 1800 block of Bishop Road last night was arrested for second-degree assault. A deputy called about 9:45 p.m. was told Susan M. King made statements to the effect that she was going to kill the 46-year-old victim in the incident which was witnessed by another person, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. King was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

BURGLARY

• A deputy responded to the 600 block of Curtis Hill Road about 2:30 p.m. yesterday where someone had kicked in a back door and stolen an Xbox 360 and a blue comforter. Missing from the shed was a pressure washer, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It happened sometime since June 1, according to the sheriff’s office.

• Chehalis police were called to the 600 block of Northwest St. Helen’s Avenue about 3:45 p.m. yesterday after the discovery someone had entered a locked garage and made off with about $1,000 worth of items.

AUTO THEFT

• Two 15-year-old Tacoma girls were arrested about 2:30 a.m. today after a sheriff’s deputy ran the registration of the car they occupied in a business parking lot and then subsequently pulled them over on southbound Interstate 5 near milepost 72. The 2006 Crown Victoria had been reported stolen yesterday to the Kent Police Department, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The teens were booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center for possession of a stolen vehicle, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. The car was impounded.

VEHICLE PROWL

• A $3,300 electronic device was removed from a vehicle parked at the 700 block of Northwest Liberty Place in Chehalis, according to a report made to police about 5:50 a.m. today. The item was described as a black ultrasonic wear indicator, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

LIQUOR HEIST

• Centralia police were called to the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue about 9:34 p.m. yesterday after a male entered Safeway and stole $200 worth of alcohol.  Photos were taken of the suspect, according to the Centralia Police Department. The case is under investigation.

RETAIL HEIST

• Centralia police were called just after noon yesterday to the 1400 block of Lum Road and then about 40 minutes later to the 100 block of West High Street on reports that two white females and two black males entered stores, stole armfuls of merchandise and fled.

ARROW LANDS IN YARD

• A Chehalis resident called police about 5 p.m. yesterday to report finding an arrow on his back deck at the 1400 block of Southwest Mills Avenue.

VANDALISM

• Chehalis police were contacted just after 1 p.m. yesterday by a property owner from the 700 block of Southwest 20th Street who reported that an estimated $2,000 worth of damage had been done to her fence since December, including holes which may have been made with rocks.

ZOOM, ZOOM

• A 35-year-old Oregon man was arrested for felony eluding after a deputy on routine patrol was passed by a black Volvo estimated to be traveling at 90 to 100 mph on northbound Interstate 5 in Centralia yesterday evening. The deputy activated emergency equipment just after 7 p.m. and pursued the car which was driving recklessly and passing vehicles on the shoulder, but lost sight of it at the milepost 88 interchange, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A witness reported the car turned southbound on the freeway and it was pulled over in front of businesses on Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis, according to the sheriff’s office. The woman in the driver’s seat and a passenger said they had let the driver out along Interstate 5 in Centralia, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. Law enforcement was able to locate their suspect, Justin B. Wall, and booked him into the Lewis County Jail, Breen said. He had an outstanding warrant and had been driving with a suspended license, according to Breen.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, vehicle collision, disorderly person, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft … and more among 173 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

June 12th, 2018
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RFA conducts aerial attack on fire at Sierra Pacific Industries in Centralia / Courtesy photo by Riverside Fire Authority

FIRE DOUSED AT SAWMILL

• Three fire departments responding to an approximately 1:30 p.m. call yesterday for a fire at a Centralia sawmill arrived to find personnel on site already applying water and a sprinkler system activated. Units from Riverside Fire Authority sprayed water into the top of the bag house, according to RFA. The fire at Sierra Pacific Industries on the 3000 block of Kuper Road was contained to the bag house and the damage was moderate, Capt. Erik Olson stated. It was likely caused by a spark from internal machinery, according to Olson. Nobody was injured.

VANDALISM

• It appeared the cause of six broken windows in a building at the 200 block of East Oakview Avenue in Centralia reported about 7:40 a.m. yesterday was someone throwing rocks, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Police were called to the 300 block of South King Street in Centralia at 8:50 a.m. yesterday where an individual reported that during the night someone had cut a fuel line on their vehicle and drained it of gasoline.

OFFICERS CALLED TO GET TRAVELER OFF TRAIN

• Centralia police requested just before 9 p.m. yesterday to remove a man from a train because he was reportedly causing a disturbance responded to the 200 block of North Railroad Avenue where the 29-year-old  Longview resident had locked himself inside a bathroom. Officers removed Keith A. Byman and then booked him into the Lewis County Jail for an outstanding warrant, according to the Centralia Police Department.

HARASSMENT

• Chehalis police were called about 11:45 a.m. yesterday to the 300 block of West Main Street by an attorney who said a man was yelling at her and harassing her outside a courtroom.

BANK CARD SHARING

• Chehalis police were called about 2:40 p.m. yesterday for a complaint of possible fraudulent use of a bank card in a case associated with the 500 block of Southeast Washington Avenue determined there was no criminal activity but it was instead a civil matter, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, driving under the influence, fourth-degree domestic assault, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, trespass, hit and run, shoplifting, vehicle collision, disorderly person, suspicious circumstances … and more among 148 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

June 11th, 2018
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•••

‘DRIVE-BY PEPPER SPRAYING’

• Chehalis police were called when a 24-year-old man said an elderly driver in a black Mercedes yelled at him about how he was parked and then sprayed him with mace at the 500 block of North Market Boulevard in Chehalis just before 7 p.m. on Friday. The suspect  – described as an old white man with a white beard – left and no arrest was made, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

THEFT, THEFT, THEFT

• An individual at the 1600 block of North Scheuber Road in Centralia reported just after 8 a.m. on Sunday that his cell phone and $5 were stolen.

• Chehalis police were called about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and told a white 2000 Nissan Altima was missing from the 10 block of Southwest Cascade Avenue. The owner contacted police the next day to say it vanished during the previous couple of days, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A ring was misplaced at a tanning bed business on the 1600 block of South Gold Street and believed to be stolen, according to a report made to police about 1:20 p.m. on Saturday.

• A person of interest has been identified in a case in which a package was stolen from the front porch of a home on the 800 block of K Street in Centralia and reported to police about 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.

• An electronic tablet was reported stolen from the 1400 block of Oxford Avenue in Centralia, according to a report to police about 7:30 p.m. on Friday. A person of interest was identified by the victim and officers are still investigating the case, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A package was stolen from the front porch of a residence on the 800 block of K Street in Centralia and reported to police at about 6:20 p.m. on Friday.

• Chehalis police called about 4 p.m. on Friday for a theft from a retail store in progress at the 700 block of South Market Boulevard did not locate the suspect but the next afternoon were called to investigate an incident that might be related, connected to a gift card-type transaction, at the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

DOMESTIC INCIDENTS

• A 26-year-old Centralia woman was arrested after police were called just before 1 a.m. on Sunday to the 100 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia because she had allegedly caused over $750 worth of damages to another’s property in a domestic-type incident. Vanessa M. Gomez was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree malicious mischief, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Braden K. Burnett, 30, of Centralia, was arrested for allegedly violating a no contact order after being contacted by police in a wooded encampment near a residence on the 900 block of Dickey Road in Centralia at about 9 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Centralia Police Department. Burnett was also arrested for resisting arrest and obstructing a law enforcement officer after he allegedly attempted to flee from officers on foot, according to police. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

DRUGS

• Centralia police found two people squatting in a vacant house about 6 p.m. on Sunday at the 300 block of South Iron Street and booked one of them – Tony A. McClain, 35 – into the Lewis County Jail for possession of methamphetamine, heroin and stolen property, according to the Centralia Police Department. His companion, Christina D. Lozano, 35, was arrested for first-degree criminal trespassing and then released pending a court hearing, according to police. Both are from Spokane.

• A 41-year-old Centralia man was arrested for  possession of methamphetamine after being contacted about 9 p.m. on Saturday in a wooded encampment near a residence on the 1100 block of Dickey Road in Centralia.  David C Rahnert was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A hit and run collision was reported about 11:20 a.m. on Friday after a bicyclist collided with the side of a vehicle, causing damage to the vehicle and then fled the scene at West Main Street and Tower Avenue in Centralia.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, driving under the influence, fourth-degree domestic assault; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, trespass, hit and run, shoplifting, vehicle collision, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances … and more among 393 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 72-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.