Posts Tagged ‘By Sharyn L. Decker’

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, July 2nd, 2015
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ELK AND MOTORBIKE COLLIDE

• A 48-year-old Chehalis man was hospitalized after his motorcycle struck an elk in Pacific County last night. Troopers responding about 12:25 a.m. to the scene two miles south of Grayland along state Route 105 report that Walter R. Twidwell’s 2000 Honda VT 1100 was able to be driven away from the scene. Twidwell and his passenger, Rhonda L. Pepin, 44, were both injured and  seen at Community Hospital, according to the Washington State Patrol. State patrol spokesperson Trooper Russ Winger said he didn’t have further details about the accident, but noted the highway goes through a remote area where there are elk herds.

VEHICLE THEFT CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called about 6:30 a.m. today to the 2000 block of North Tower Avenue where a red Yamaha motorcycle was reported stolen.

BURGLARY CENTRALIA

• Police were called by a resident at the 100 block of North Schueber Road in Centralia late yesterday afternoon who said someone came into her home while she was out of town between June 23 and Sunday and left with her personal checkbook. There was no sign of forced entry, according to the Centralia Police Department.

YARD THEFT

• A generator and a propane construction heater were reportedly stolen from a driveway on the 1000 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday afternoon.

OTHER THEFT

• Centralia police took a report yesterday of a license plate removed from a vehicle by an unknown person at the 100 block of Virginia Drive.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, drugs, shoplifting, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street, wallet lost while blacked out, reports of cat, dogs and kids left alone in different parked vehicles in the heat … and more.

Firefighters find smoldering rags in downtown Chehalis bar

Wednesday, July 1st, 2015

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – It turned out to be a neatly folded stack of recently laundered towels on a shelf.

That could have burned up a popular Chehalis night spot, if not for the fact that someone smelled something not quite right before the business closed.

It was about midnight last night when someone from Sabra’s Place walked around the corner to the Chehalis Fire Station and said there was a strange odor inside the restaurant.

The crew went into the building on the 300 block of Northwest Chehalis Avenue and looked around. The air conditioner was checked, the area was searched and finally, the source was located, Fire Investigator Ted McCarty said

It was coming from a stack of towels in a cabinet, McCarty said. They were just slightly smoking.

Fire Investigator Derrick Paul related to McCarty that he took them outside, laid them out and found heavy charring in the middle.

“So, they were actually spontaneously combusting,” McCarty said.

Paul asked if they’d been used previously to clean up anything oily or chemicals. He was told yes, but they’d been washed since, he was told.

Most people know that oily rags left laying around can ignite, but firefighters know that even after they are laundered, they are still risky, according to McCarty. They should be stored in something metal with a lid on it, he said.

“In this case, luckily they smelled something,” he said. “Otherwise, we’d have had a big fire.”

FBI, federal prosecutors considering pursuing Chase Bank robbery case

Wednesday, July 1st, 2015
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Larry G. Bailey, right, listens as his lawyer addresses the judge in Lewis County Superior Court about a delay in his case.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The upcoming trial for the suspected bicycling bank robber was postponed today, after lawyers told a judge federal authorities may want to take a crack at prosecuting the case.

Larry G. Bailey was arrested on the morning of Jan. 26, after ditching a BMX-style bicycle on Chehalis’s West Street overpass, with a deputy in pursuit, about 45 minutes after an individual with a similar description implied to the manager of Chase Bank at the other end of town he had a gun and was taken into the bank’s vault.

The 52-year-old had $36,000 tucked inside a floral print cloth bag in his backpack, according to police.

Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead told Judge Richard Brosey this morning he just spoke to federal authorities about a week and a half ago.

“I know the probation officer was aware of it, but I don’t think the FBI or the (Assistant United States Attorney) was,” Halstead said.

Bailey has several previous federal bank robbery convictions and was on probation at the time of the incident, according to prosecutors.

Halstead, Bailey and defense attorney Chris Baum appeared in Lewis County Superior Court, scheduled for a pre-trial hearing.

Baum joined Halstead in suggesting they postpone both the hearing, and the trial that was on the court calendar for the week of Aug. 3.

“We need to get a response from the feds as to whether or not they’re going to take it,” Baum said.

Police said Bailey had just arrived in the area few months earlier and showed an address on the 1500 block of Bishop Road, at an address for a church near an encampment.

Bailey has pleaded not guilty to first-degree robbery and possession of methamphetamine.

If convicted and the state can confirm the prior robbery convictions, it could be a third strike, making him subject to mandatory life imprisonment without parole

He remains held in the Lewis County Jail on t $250,000 bail.
•••

For background, read:

• “Suspected Chase Bank robber believed to have numerous similar convictions” from Tuesday January 27, 2015, here

• “Chase bank robbery suspect facing possible third strike, pleads not guilty” from Thursday January 29, 2015, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Wednesday, July 1st, 2015
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•••

MISSING SHOTGUN

• A deputy took a report yesterday of a shotgun stolen from a man’s bedroom on the 1200 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Ethel. The 59-year-old resident said the Mossberg 870 12-gauge shotgun was taken sometime between June 20 and Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

MISSING DOG

• Centralia police were called about 7:35 p.m. yesterday to the 1600 block of North Schueber Road to take a report a dog was stolen from a home. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

MISSING STROLLER

• A stroller was stolen from a a front porch at the 1200 block of G Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 3:15 p.m. yesterday.

MISSING PARCEL

• Centralia police were called to the 200 block of West Pear Street about 2:30 p.m. yesterday regarding the theft of a UPS package from a porch.

FRAUD

• Chehalis police were called on Monday afternoon regarding a possible fraud. They are investigating, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Someone stole tools from an unlocked vehicle parked in front of a residence overnight at the 1400 block of Southwest Mills Avenue in Chehalis, according to a report made to police yesterday morning.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police were called just before noon yesterday about a window getting broken out of a vehicle during the night at the 900 block of Goff Street in Centralia.

ON THE ROAD

• A youngster on a bicycle collided with a car at Main Street and Cascade Avenue in Chehalis about 1:45 p.m. yesterday afternoon, but was not seriously injured, according to responders.

• A 32-year-old motorist was arrested for being intoxicated behind the wheel as well as having three child passengers at the time yesterday evening in Centralia. Police contacted Chad C. Cozby, 32, of Sumner, about 6:25 p.m. at the 1500 block of Kresky Avenue, according to the Centralia Police Department.  He was booked into the Lewis County Jail for driving under the influence plus three counts of reckless endangerment, according to police.

• An 18-year-old motorist totaled his own Mitsubishi Eclipse as well as a Chehalis woman’s Grand Am after traveling too fast, losing control in a curve and spinning out early yesterday morning at the 200 block of Maurin Road in Chehalis. A deputy called just before 5 a.m. learned the teen’s car T-boned the other vehicle and spun multiple times, also causing minor damage to a third vehicle that was trying to back away, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Nobody was injured, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. However, Trew A. Irwin, from Centralia, was cited for second-degree negligent driving, having no insurance and third-degree driving with a suspended license, Brown said. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail, she said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, misdemeanor assault; responses for alarm, dispute, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street, possibly stolen property found in some bushes, barking dog … and more.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
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•••

Updated at 8:03 p.m.

DRUGS MISSING

• Centralia police took a report yesterday morning of 70 hydrocodone pills stolen from a residence on the 1100 block of South Schueber Road, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FRAUD

• Police received a report of credit card theft, possibly from the mail, yesterday associated with the 600 block of South Rock Street in Centralia.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called about 7:20 a.m. today about a vehicle prowl on Southwest James Street.

VANDALISM

• Police were called to the 500 block of North Tower Avenue in Centralia about 11:30 a.m. yesterday because of graffiti written on a sculpture.

FROM THE COURTHOUSE, ANGRY YOUNG MAN

• An 18-year-old Randle resident was ordered held yesterday on $50,000 bail in connection with the shooting death of his grandparent’s dog. Kolby G. Mullins was booked into the Lewis County Jail on Friday and appeared before a judge yesterday afternoon. According to charging documents, Mullins is accused of vandalizing the grandparent’s motorcycle in Glenoma, leaving a note expressing how angry he was and suggesting they meet up to fight. That was in February. The court documents go on to detail how two weeks later Mullins allegedly drove up to a residence in Randle where the grandparent Gene Dunaway’s dog began to bark, and Mullins lifted a rifle, took aim and shot the dog twice, before driving away. The documents don’t indicate why Mullins was upset, but he has a pending case in another county in which he is charged with first-degree child molestation, according to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office. And the day after the motorcycle incident, Mullins tried to kill himself, sustaining a large gunshot wound on his head, according to the documents. He is charged with second-degree animal cruelty, harassment, second-degree theft, second- and third-degree malicious mischief as well as making a false or misleading statement to a public servant. Back in mid-February, he allegedly trashed somebody else’s pickup truck and their television near the Glenoma incident and took a dirt bike and tools, according to the documents. During the same time he allegedly invited another individual to fight, even with guns, out of anger at that person’s association with his grandparent, the documents relate. Yesterday afternoon, defense attorney Joely O’Rourke told the judge both she and her temporary client were thoroughly confused as he was charged with the exact same incident in Lewis County District Court, and bail was set at $3,600. The prosecutor’s office said because of the severity of the charges and mental health issues, they wanted higher bail. Judge Richard Brosey left the bail amount at $50,000 as it was set in Mullins’ arrest warrant. The current charges were filed on April 15, and a passage in the affidavit of probable cause notes there was a time delay in the referral of these charges to their office and their office’s awareness the referral existed. Mullins’ arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, misdemeanor assault, driving with suspended license; responses for dispute, harassment, misdemeanor theft, suspicious circumstances, possible inappropriate touching, collision on city street, kids shooting off large fireworks, someone else setting off fireworks … and more.

News brief: UPS truck fire north of Grand Mound closes one lane of I-5

Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
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Flames from possible brake fire spread into cargo hold of UPS truck. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Crews were still on the scene this morning dealing with a fire that engulfed a UPS truck just south of the Maytown Rest Area on Interstate 5.

Firefighters were called out just after 1 a.m. to the southbound lanes near milepost 92 to find the closed box trailer well involved in flames, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

They managed to cut the box away from the tractor itself and remained on the scene as of 9 a.m. extinguishing hot spots, Fire Chief Robert Scott said.

Nobody was hurt.

The rig was hauling 19,000 pounds of cargo, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Scott said it wasn’t individual packages for delivery, but was pallets of bulk items. The pallets he saw were things like children’s toys, speaker systems and computer boards, he said.

The area is down to one lane and traffic is congested, the chief said.

A fire crew is assisting contractors, who have a dump truck to take away the remains of the load, and a tow truck was working to right the trailer which had tipped onto its side, he said.

They believe it may have been a brake fire on the truck itself that spread to the trailer, Scott said.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Monday, June 29th, 2015
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•••

Updated at 7:59 p.m.

VEHICLE PROWLER HITS JACKPOT

• Someone rifled through a truck while its drivers dined at Gee Cees Truck Stop southwest of Toledo early on Saturday morning, removing $9,602 cash from the glove box, $200 from a wallet, a Rand McNalley GPS unit from the dashboard and also taking clothing including T-shirts and blue jeans. A deputy responding about 12:30 a.m. learned another truck driver had seen two males trying to break into the truck and the prowler or prowlers left the door open when they were done, according to Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy asked the business to review images on its security system, Chief Stacy Brown said.

POLICE DOG HITS JACKPOT

• Chehalis Officer Warren Ayers and his K9 partner, Reign, assisted Centralia officers with capturing two car prowl suspects who ran as officers arrived on the scene at the 100 block of Jalyn Street in Centralia early yesterday morning. Zachory J. Schultz, 18, of Centralia, and a 17 year old were found hiding nearby and arrested for vehicle prowl following the approximately 2:50 a.m. call,  according to the Centralia Police Department.

MORE CAR PROWLS

• A GPS unit and a Blue Tooth device were stolen from a vehicle at the 1800 block of Collins Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police yesterday afternoon.

• Chehalis police were called about 10:30 a.m. yesterday when an individual out on a walk found some items that should have been in his vehicle, which was parked in its driveway on the 200 block of Southeast Adams Avenue, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Officers took a report about 9 a.m. on Saturday of a rope taken from the bed of a pickup parked in the 300 block of Division Avenue in Morton. The rope was later located, tied to the Tilton River Bridge, according to the Morton Police Department.

COMMERCIAL STORAGE BUSINESS THEFT

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a deputy took a report from a 27-year-old Rochester woman that someone broke into her storage unit at the 2400 block of Harrison Avenue and stole numerous items including a Craftsman table saw, a gas heater, a saddle and a toolbox. Shavings found on the ground at Keepers Storage indicate the thief drilled through the locking mechanism on her padlock to get in, according to the sheriff’s office. It happened sometime between 10 a.m. last Monday and 10 a.m. on Thursday, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. The loss is estimated at $1,100, Brown said. An investigation is underway.

DUERR WOOD SPLITTER MISSING

• A five-ton wood splitter was stolen from an 87-year-old man’s property in the 200 block of Gershick Road in Silver Creek. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning it went missing sometime between 3 p.m. on May 4 and 1 p.m. the following day. It’s brand is Duerr, according to the sheriff’s office. The value is $1,600, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

MOWER MISSING

• A lawnmower was stolen from a yard during the night at the 100 block of West Chestnut Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police on Saturday morning.

BUS YARD HIT UP FOR FUEL

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that sometime before yesterday but after last Wednesday, someone broke into the Toledo School District bus garage compound and tried to siphon gas from the storage tank by cutting the fuel hose at the pump. The sheriff’s office thinks they were interrupted because they left their own gas can behind, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. They got in to the facility at the 100 block of Collins Road by cutting a hole in the chain link fence, Brown said. No fuel was stolen and the school district will attempt to review security images to see if a suspect can be identified, Brown said.

FRAUD

• Centralia police were contacted yesterday morning by an individual who reported losing a credit card the day before, and then learning it had been used at several area businesses.according to the Chehalis Police Department.

ASSAULT

• An officer was called at about 12:45 a.m. on Friday regarding an alleged assault at Green Hill School in Chehalis. It is being investigated, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

DRUGS

• An officer was called to the 1000 block of Southwest 20th Street on Saturday afternoon regarding pain medication that was either stolen or misplaced, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

•  An officer was called to the 1000 block of Southwest 20th Street on Saturday evening after a 15-year-old boy was found with unspecified pills. The case is being referred to juvenile prosecutors for a possible drug charge, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Police were called about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday to the 500 block of South Cedar Street in Centralia regarding someone spray painting the back of someone else’s truck.

• Police took a report around 10 p.m. yesterday of windows getting broken at a home on the 1000 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia.

WRECKS

• A pair of Vader residents were hospitalized as a precaution after their semi truck left the highway and rolled this morning in Eastern Washington. Julie A. Hedglin, 55, was driving eastbound on U.S. Highway 12 at the Dayton city limits when it happened just before 10 a.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. The passenger James L. Hedglin, 57, was not wearing a seat belt, the state patrol reports. The driver is to be issued a citation for second-degree negligent driving, according to the investigating trooper.

• Newaukum Valley Fire and Rescue Chief Gregg Peterson said he believes two people were transported to Providence Centralia Hospital yesterday evening following a collision on northbound Interstate 5 just north of the Rush Road interchange at Napavine.

• A 23-year-old motorist from Missoula, Montana was injured when his Dodge Ram pickup left the roadway and struck a large tree head on yesterday afternoon east of Packwood. Troopers responded to the approximately 3:30 p.m. call to state Route 123 before milepost one, according to the Washington State Patrol. Bryce L. Greenfield was transported to Morton General Hospital and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to the state patrol. Greenfield wasn’t wearing a seat belt, the investigating trooper reports.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, obstructing, resisting arrest, misdemeanor assault, shoplifting, protection order violation, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, disorderly persons, harassment, trespassing, hit and run, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street, dogs left alone in parked vehicles in Chehalis at Safeway, at Wal-Mart and at Valley View Health Center, a pair of dogs walking around without an owner, kids in a neighbor’s pool at night when neighbor is gone … and more.