News brief: Service station worker interrupts attempted theft of ATM machine in Adna

February 5th, 2015

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A gas station employee arriving to open up early this morning outside of Chehalis discovered someone inside trying to bust open an ATM machine.

As she pulled into the parking lot, and noticed a broken window, a male jumped out the window and took off, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

It happened just before 3 a.m., Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said.

A search of the area and a track by the Chehalis police dog failed to turn up the burglar, according to Brown. Deputies are working on getting surveillance images, Brown said.

The Hillcrest 76 Gas Station sits on the corner of state Route 6 and   Highway 603 in Adna.

Brown said the male ran west on state Route 6 and it is believed he may have jumped into the Chehalis River to get away.

Deputies found a sledge hammer and crowbar left behind, and concluded that when he could not break open the machine, he dragged it over to the broken window, on the state Route 6 side of the building.

That’s when the worker showed up, according to Brown.

Brown is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the sheriff’s office or Lewis County Crime Stoppers.

Tags: ,
Posted in News briefs | 1 Comment »

Wrong “gang aggravator” gets Centralia man new, shorter sentence

February 4th, 2015

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – An appeals court reversed an exceptionally long sentence given to a purported Centralia gang member and remanded the case for resentencing within the standard range.

Joshua Rhoades was convicted by a jury of second-degree assault in the spring of 2013 for fight on a Centralia street in which a 17-year-old boy was knocked unconscious. Rhoades, then 32 years old, was given nearly the 10 year maximum, allowed because of a special gang finding by the jury.

2013.0710.joshua.rhoades_2.small

Joshua Rhoades at 2013 sentencing hearing.

The opinion issued yesterday states that prosecutors did not provide constitutionally sufficient notice of their intent to seek an exceptional sentence.

The standard sentencing range is 65 to 82 months.

Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler imposed  10 months less than 10 years, and ordered 10 months of supervision by the state Department of Corrections upon Rhoades’ release.

The three-member panel of the Court of Appeals Division II found the language regarding the aggravating circumstance alleged in the charging document was different from that given to the jury in their instructions.

“The Washington and federal constitutions entitle criminal defendants to adequate notice of the nature and cause of the accusation, so that they may prepare a defense,” wrote Judge Thomas R Bjorgen who authored the opinion.

Rhoades and his appeals lawyer contended the court submitted to the jury an aggravating circumstance instruction, that Rhoades committed the crime with the intent to benefit a criminal street gangs, while the circumstance alleged in the information was that Rhoades committed the crime to obtain or maintain membership or advance his position in an identifiable group.

“On its face, then, the substitution of one aggravator for the other resulted in inadequate notice that likely prejudiced the defendant’s ability to prepare a defense,” Bjorgen wrote.

Judges Bradley A. Maxa and Rich Melnick concurred.

Prosecutors said during his trial that Rhoades jumped out of a car, flashing gang signs and asking the teen and his two friends if they knew who he was and if they were  rival “Nortenos”. The teenager Dustin McLean testified Rhoades held a closed knife in his fist as he struck him. Prosecutors told the jury Rhoades was well known to Centralia police, who said he was the leader of the LVL .

LVL stands for Little Valley Locos or Little Valley Lokotes a gang locally made up mostly of individuals who grew up in Centralia when it was particularly active in the summer of 2007. Police say Rhoades goes by the street name Spooker.

In his appeal, Rhoades submitted several additional claims for review which the appeals judges either rejected or declined to review.

The appeals document shows he is housed at Clallam Bay Corrections Center.

Rhoades was represented at trial by Chehalis defense attorney Chris Baum, a former deputy prosecutor. The state’s case was presented by Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joely O’Rourke who is now a defense attorney.
•••

For background, read “Centralia’s “Spooker” gets extra prison time for assault due to gang affiliation from Wednesday July 10, 2013, here

Tags: ,
Posted in Top story of the day | 7 Comments »

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 4th, 2015

Updated at 11:58 a.m.

ANOTHER ELDERLY PERSON VICTIMIZED BY PHONE FRAUD

• A 91-year-old Toledo area woman was suckered out of $28,000 before a family member discovered someone had been phoning her and claiming she’d won a lottery worth a half million dollars, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports this morning. Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said the incidents took place between mid-December and yesterday, and the woman had been told she needed to send money, which she did five times. The family was able to intercept two checks for $10,000, Brown said. The family closed the woman’s checking account and changed her phone number, Brown said. Local law enforcement has been urging the public to be proactive and take time to educate and inform their older family members about the various schemes, as there has been an increase in such scams in Lewis County.

MORE FRAUD

• Chehalis police are investigating a possible fraud case in which a female has been getting notifications of purchases she did not make. It was reported yesterday, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AUTO THEFT

• A white 1997 Honda Civic was stolen from the 600 block of M Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 4 p.m. yesterday. The car has a license plate reading AJN 9380, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called yesterday by an individual whose cell phone was possibly stolen from their vehicle while parked at Wal-Mart.

CLOSE CALL ON BRIDGE

• Centralia police report that two vehicles struck mirrors while passing on the North Pearl Street bridge near Reynolds Avenue about 8 p.m. last night and one of them continued on without stopping.

MAN AIRLIFTED AFTER CRASHING INTO TREE

• A driver was injured when he was ejected in a single-vehicle rollover accident yesterday afternoon in Grand Mound. Firefighters called about 3:30 p.m. report the car collided with a tree near James Road and Denmark Street. The lone occupant, an adult male, was airlifted out of Rochester High School, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority. Department spokesperson Lt. Lanette Dyer said she believed the man was being flown to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, but they may have diverted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

ELK VERSUS PICKUP TRUCK

• Two men were reportedly uninjured when their vehicle collided with two elk yesterday on U.S. Highway 12 just east of Packwood. Deputies responded about 5:45 p.m. to the scene where the 2013 Toyota Tundra sustained major damage, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, a 38-year-old Longview man, was traveling eastbound when the elk ran into the road, according to the sheriff’s office. Both men had been wearing their seat belts, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. The driver was cited for no valid operators license.

LOG TRUCK LOSES LOADED TRAILER

• A 35-year-old log truck driver from Pe Ell man escaped with only minor injuries and a citation when his trailer disconnected from his truck yesterday afternoon north of Winlock. The 1993 Kenworth was traveling along the 300 block of Pleasant Valley Road when the coupling device malfunctioned, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The incident caused the loaded trailer to go into the ditch and the truck to rollover, Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said. Firefighters responding around 2 p.m. report he had only minor injuries. The sheriff’s office reports he was uninjured. The man was cited for defective equipment and the truck and trailer, both totaled, were taken out of service, Brown said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, shoplifting, misdemeanor assault; responses for alarms, collisions on city streets, motorcycle wreck on county road … and more.

Tags: ,
Posted in Sharyn's sirens roundup | 3 Comments »

News brief: State patrol concerned about crash photos posted online

February 4th, 2015

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Troopers are asking social media users to think twice before sharing pictures or information about tragic incidents on the roadways.

Social media has become an important part of everyday life, but in the case of serious collisions the consequences of posting photos include the possibility someone may learn of the death of a family member under less than ideal circumstances, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Trooper Will Finn last month wrote of a case in which a Randle woman arrived at the scene of her husband’s fatal collision with a semi truck on U.S. Highway 12 after reading about the wreck on Facebook.

Troopers were stunned and extremely concerned for her emotional well being, according to Finn.

“Troopers were faced with the difficult task of telling Mrs. Sume her husband had died while she looked at the wreckage of the scene,” Finn wrote.

Trooper Finn is the designated spokesperson for the state patrol in Southwest Washington.

Finn says the task of notifying family members of a loved one’s passing is already difficult and painful and under ordinary circumstances, part of their job includes working to help bring comfort to a grieving family in various ways.

“The comfort may be given by staying with a wife who is home alone until a friend or family member can be with them,” Finn  writes. “The comfort may also be given by answering a specific question about the investigation.”

If a family learns of their loss via social media, those opportunities can be lost, according to Finn.

The Jan. 4 wreck near Randle in which 52-year-old Jay E. Sume was killed isn’t the first time social media has made a bad situation worse, according to Finn.

Roughly a year earlier, a Vancouver woman unknowingly tweeted her own husband’s death and subsequently began asking questions through social media to confirm her suspicions, Finn writes.

Last spring also in Vancouver, a motorist trying to capture images of troopers investigating a deadly wreck for social media caused a second accident that resulted in serious injuries.

Finn acknowledges the important role social media has, in informing the public of impending dangers and offering critical information during significant events. But he asks people to think before posting, to think of the family that could be affected by the words or photos shared.

His suggestion is that tweeting or posting just bare facts is sufficient, such as “Road closed, use alternate route.”

Finn says the state patrol at times shares pictures with the public via social media. He says they don’t post photos until families have been notified.

Tags: ,
Posted in News briefs | Comments Closed

Read about former Montesano police chief off to prison …

February 4th, 2015

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

The (Aberdeen) Daily World reports a one-time finalist for the position of chief of police in Chehalis has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Ray Sowers, one of four finalists in Chehalis in 2006, resigned as the police chief in Montesano in 2010 in connection with theft of public money, according to news reporter Corey Morris.

Morris writes Sowers was removed from Pierce County Drug Court last fall, following his conviction for stealing liquor from a grocery store and his arrest when large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine were found in his apartment.

Read about it here

Posted in News briefs | Comments Closed

Grand Mound: Five hour standoff results in arrests for stolen vehicle, warrants

February 3rd, 2015

Updated

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Two Thurston County men were taken into custody after an hours long standoff in Grand Mound today that began with a stolen vehicle spotted in a driveway by a deputy.

Steven D Pierce, 37, was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant out of Centralia Municipal Court and has been booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to authorities.

Harry I. Richcreek, 42, was booked into the Thurston County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle, and was said to have a felony warrant out of California for auto theft, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident began about 8:30 a.m. when a sheriff’s deputy responded to a call from a neighbor who reported seeing activity throughout the night at a home thought to be vacant, according to the sheriff’s office.

When the deputy arrived to the 19100 block of Apricot Street Southwest, he saw a man get out of a vehicle and go inside and a check on its license plate showed it was stolen in Lacey on Saturday, according to Lt. Cliff Ziesemer.

Ziesemer said in a news release that other deputies responded to assist, and after numerous attempts to contact the people inside, two women came out.

The sheriff’s office learned the man was wanted for car theft in California, was armed with a pistol, and a second man was with him, according to Ziesemer. They also learned the women were a mother and daughter who rented the home, and the men were friends of the daughter, according to Ziesemer.

“Repeated attempts were made to have the two remaining people exit the house but (we) received no response,” Ziesemer stated.

The Thurston County SWAT team was activated, and after many more tries to coax the men out, the team made entry at about 1:25 p.m., the lieutenant wrote.

Pierce was found hiding in a bedroom and Richcreek refused to come out from the crawl space beneath the mobile hime, according to the sheriff’s office. Ziesemer said a police dog went in and forced him out.

Richcreek ended up with bite wounds to his buttocks, and although he struck the police dog Rex while they tussled, the dog was unhurt, according to Ziesemer.

No gun was located, he said.

Tags: ,
Posted in Top story of the day | 1 Comment »

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 3rd, 2015

RECKLESS WRECK

• A 32-year-old Centralia man was cited for reckless driving after he reportedly struck an oncoming car while trying to pass along the 2200 block of Harrison Avenue yesterday evening. in Centralia. Deputies called at 6:20 p.m. were told that James M. Sedrick was making unsafe passes and may have sideswiped another vehicle before the accident, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A witness said when Sedrick tried to pass another vehicle he attempted to get back into his lane, but there wasn’t enough room, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Deputy Stacy Brown said his 1996 Suzuki Swift and the 1999 Honda Accord were both totaled. He, as well as the three occupants of the Honda, were all wearing seat belts, Brown said. All four went to the emergency room at Providence Centralia Hospital, according to Brown. None of the injuries were described as serious.

BURGLARY

• Centralia police were called about 1:30 p.m. yesterday regarding a break-in to a business not currently occupied at the 800 block of North Tower Avenue. The owner is compiling a list of missing property, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DRUGS

• Suspected methamphetamine was found in the pocket of a shoplifting suspect last night at a Centralia Outlet store on the 100 block of West High Street in Centralia, according to police. JoAnne C. Ackley, 31, of Elma, was contacted about 6:50 p.m., found to have a stolen item and was subsequently booked into the Lewis County Jail for possession of methamphetamine,  according to the Centralia Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving under the influence; responses for suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft, broken windows, a vehicle getting “keyed” … and more.

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

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »