News brief: Fleeing suspect collides with federal drug agents’ vehicles

February 28th, 2018

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A 27-year-old man being sought by drug detectives allegedly drove into two DEA agent’s vehicles as he fled a Centralia motel parking lot yesterday afternoon.

The suspect ditched his car on property at the north end of Lum Road and ran off, but was tracked by a K-9 and taken into custody, according to the Centralia Police Department.

Daniel C. Miller, of Centralia, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for two counts of second-degree assault, according to police.

It wasn’t initially clear why law enforcement was looking for Miller.

Centralia Police Department detective John Panco said the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, with help from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, were actively searching for Miller when he was located in the parking lot of Motel 6 on the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue.

Miller was behind the wheel of a 2005 Saturn and as he exited the lot, his car hit the vehicle of a DEA agent entering the lot, according to Panco.

“The DEA agent along with a detective from the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team exited their vehicle and ordered Miller to stop,” Panco stated in a press release. “Miller backed up and attempted to flee south through the Motel 6 parking lot and at one point striking a second vehicle occupied by another DEA agent.”

Miller reportedly continued, driving up onto the sidewalk and over a grass strip and headed north on Lum Road, Panco wrote. He stopped on Lakeside Industries property and fled on foot, according to Panco.

He was tracked by Centralia police dog Pax and found on the 2000 block of Van Wormer Street and surrendered without incident, according to Panco.

Assisting were the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, the Chehalis Police Department and the Washington State Patrol.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 27th, 2018
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Multiple agencies responded early this morning to residential fire on Pendleton Street Southwest. / Courtesy photo by West Thurston Regional Fire Authority

FIRE BREAKS OUT OVERNIGHT IN ROCHESTER

• Crews called about 2:35 a.m. today for a fire in a single-wide mobile home in Rochester were able to get there in four minutes and get the flames extinguished, but not before the fire caused extensive heat and smoke damage throughout, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority. The residents at the 18100 block of Pendleton Street Southwest had woken up to popping noises around their clothes dryer, discovered fire and got outside, Fire Chief Robert Scott said. Nobody was hurt and the Red Cross is assisting the couple, according to Scott. The chief said there was no working smoke alarm.

ASSAULT

• William F.H. Adams, 41, of Centralia, was arrested for allegedly assaulting a nurse when police were called about 1:40 a.m. today to the 900 block of South Scheuber Road in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

• Chehalis police called just after 2 a.m. today about a disturbance at the 400 block of Northeast Jefferson Avenue ended up booking a man into the Lewis County Jail for unlawful imprisonment. Prosecutors today declined to file the felony charge.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, third-degree theft, driving with suspended license, misdemeanor assault; responses for alarm, dispute, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances … 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.

Morton police: Joke about school shooting draws armed officers

February 27th, 2018
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Courtesy photo by Morton School District

Updated at 11:04 a.m.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  Morton Police Department Chief Roger Morningstar rushed into Morton High School yesterday carrying a long gun following a report of a student at the school with a firearm.

The entire school district was put in lockdown at the time of the approximately 3:15 p.m. call, but it turned out the initial report was based off of a statement made between students joking about a shooting, according to authorities.

“We take threats such of these seriously and will take immediate action to safeguard our children,” the chief posted on the department’s Facebook page. “Everyone at the school was safe and no one was hurt.”

The chief said he, another officer and a Lewis County sheriff’s deputy arrived within three to four minutes and immediately entered the building armed.

Morningstar asked that everyone understand these sorts of threats are no laughing matter.

“We ask that our students understand that this is not a joke,” he wrote. “This is not funny. This is serious and lives are placed at risk with inappropriate comments, jokes or exaggerations.”

The chief said a thorough investigation revealed the students were joking and no criminal charges will be filed.

Morningstar stated that such reports will be handled as “real world” events. Anyone who makes substantiated threats or false reports will be charged accordingly, he wrote.

The Morton School District said it happened after school was let out and the busses had departed.

“We would like to thank Morton Police Department and the Lewis County Sheriffs Office for their prompt response and resolving the incident,” the District stated on its Facebook page. “We would also like to thank our students and staff who responded appropriately and kept everyone safe.”

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 26th, 2018
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•••

Updated

KNIFE ASSAULT

• A 24-year-old Winlock man was arrested for first-degree robbery after he allegedly stabbed a 55-year-old Centralia man in the leg and took his money during an altercation just before 2:15 a.m. on Sunday at the 100 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia. Jose S. Torrence, Jr. was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VEHICLE ASSAULT

• Police were called just before 4 p.m. yesterday to the 100 block of West High Street in Centralia to take a report that a driver intentionally bumped a man in his 40s with his car during a dispute over a parking spot.

PELLET GUN INJURY

• Cenralia police said yesterday morning they are investigating an incident where a 19-year-old male was shot in the head with a pellet gun at the 600 block of South Diamond Street. It was reported about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and all indications were it was accidental, according to the Centralia Police Department.

DOMESTIC ASSAULT

• A 35-year-old Centralia man was arrested for second-degree assault for allegedly striking his wife in the head, dragging her by her hair into a bedroom where she hit her head and fell to the floor unconscious and at one point grabbing her by the throat. A deputy called to the 3100 block of Ives Road in Centralia about 5:35 p.m. on Friday booked Bernardo Duarte Ibarra into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

THREAT TO KILL

• A 14-year-old boy who allegedly messaged his former significant other telling her he wanted to kill her, her family and her dog and went into great detail about how he would do it was arrested on Friday for felony harassment. A deputy called to Centralia Middle School about 11:15 a.m. on Friday contacted the 14-year-old girl who said the boy had communicated with her via Instragram two days earlier, also telling her it gave him great joy thinking about it, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The teen was booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center.

• Michael L. Keenan, 50, a homeless person, was arrested and booked on an outstanding warrant and for harassment following an incident about 9:20 a.m. on Sunday at Interstate 5 and Harrison Avenue in Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BAR FIGHT

• Elizabeth E. Dan, 45, Centralia, and Kaliegh R. Grab, 28, Chehalis, were cited for fighting in public at the 100 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia after police were called there about 1:15 a.m. on Saturday. They were released pending court, according to the Centralia Police Department.

TRESPASSING

• A 53-year-old homeless person found sleeping inside a closed business at the 1100 block of View Avenue in Centralia was arrested for burglary as he had allegedly done (unspecified) damage to the property this morning. Police called just before 7 a.m. booked Charles A. Riggs into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

YARD THEFT

• Centralia police were called to the 500 block of Jackson Street just after 9 a.m. on Saturday where a wheel barrow was reported stolen from a yard.

• Centralia police were called to the 200 block of West Oakview Avenue just before 8 a.m. on Friday to take a report of the theft of a chainsaw from a shed.

FRAUD

• Chehalis police are investigating a report of fraud made to them about 11 a.m. on Friday from the 2500 block of Northeast Kresky Avenue.

CAR PROWL

• A 58-year-old Centralia resident was arrested for second-degree attempted vehicle prowl after allegedly being spotted trying doors of vehicles in a parking lot at the 300 block of South King Street in Centralia last night night. Police contacted Jace D. Reuther around 10:10 p.m. and issued him a citation and then released him, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police were called to the 100 block of South King Street about 9:20 a.m. on Friday where a wallet and helmet were stolen from a vehicle.

K-9 APPREHENSION

• A 60-year-old Packwood man who allegedly ran out his back door when a deputy arrived to contact him about a warrant surrendered when he saw a K-9 coming after him, putting his hands in the air on Friday in Packwood. Daniel W. Dancer was arrested just before 4 p.m. at the 100 block of Bonell Road and booked into the Lewis County Jail for resisting arrest, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

DRUGS

• A 47-year-old homeless person was arrested on an outstanding warrant and also possession of methamphetamine after contact with police about 9:25 a.m. yesterday at the 600 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia. Israel J. Morrison was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

HOUSE FIRE

• Firefighters called about 7:15 a.m. on Saturday to the 100 block of McAtee Road in Centralia found fire starting to show on the exterior side of a house, next to a chimney. Residents had evacuated the home and were attempting to apply water to the fire with a garden hose, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The exterior wall had to be cut open for final extinguishment, according to the fire department.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• The driver of a pickup truck that took off the front porch of a house on the 1100 block of West Main Street in Centralia at about 1 p.m. on Saturday had suffered a medical issue, according to the Centralia Police Department. The 39-year-old man was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital for further evaluation, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The vehicle was totaled and the damage to the home was described as heavy.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, harassment, trespassing, third-degree theft, driving with suspended license, driving under the influence, driving with no license; responses for alarm, dispute, shoplifting, civil issue, hit and run, vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor domestic assault … and more among 370 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 72-hour period ending about 7 a.m.

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Pickup truck drives through porch off of West Main Street in Centralia. / Courtesy photo by Katherine Gulmert

News brief: Toddler injured by vehicle in Winlock driveway

February 26th, 2018

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A 2-year-old girl hit by a vehicle backing out of a Winlock driveway was treated and has been released from the hospital, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday about the incident that occurred on the 100 block of Amber Lane, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

A 28-year-old man said they had arrived home, the children went inside the residence and he was preparing to leave again with one child and the child’s friend, according to Breen.

They backed up in the sport utility vehicle and struck something, which turned out to be the little girl.

The toddler was transported to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, suffering from minor injuries of cuts and bruises, Breen said.

Breen said they thought she was in the house but apparently had followed one of the older children back outside.

He did not expect any enforcement action to be taken.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

February 23rd, 2018
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•••

FREEWAY CHASE

• A 14-year-old boy was arrested early this morning for felony eluding when he failed to pull over for a deputy beginning around milepost 60 on southbound Interstate 5. It had appeared the driver of the Ford F150 pickup was possibly intoxicated, at one point nearly sideswiping a semi truck, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The approximately 3:20 a.m. pursuit was terminated but the deputy followed the truck at normal speeds until it stopped, high centered on a log near Burma Road in Toutle, according got the sheriff’s office. The Olympia teen acknowledged taking his father’s truck and said he was running away from home, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. He was booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center.

MAN GIVES UP AR-15

• Chehalis police were called to pickup a firearm after a man who seemed distraught brought an AR-15 to the Lewis County Veterans Museum, saying he wanted them to have it but wouldn’t leave his name or any information for them yesterday afternoon. The man who was around 70 years said he was a military veteran and suggested he was being persecuted by the government for having the gun, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Department spokesperson Linda Bailey said police are trying to track down the owner, and isn’t sure what will happen with the weapon because firearms laws likely prevent it from being treated as an ordinary lost or found item.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving with suspended license, protection order violation; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue,  vehicle collision, suspicious circumstances, misdemeanor theft … and more among 122 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m.

News brief: Centralia man airlifted after tire hits car

February 23rd, 2018
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Northbound I-5 near milepost 75 / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Fire District 6

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS –  A Centralia driver was critically injured when an errant tire smashed his windshield as he was traveling on Interstate 5 just south of Chehalis yesterday afternoon.

Troopers and aid called just after 4:35 p.m. found the Kia Sorento about 150 feet off the side of the northbound lanes, in a swampy area, according to responders.

Valdemar Sebastian, 51, of Centralia, was transported to the Chehalis Airport and flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, according to Lewis County Fire District 6.

His passenger sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to District spokesperson DJ Hammer. Analorena Jimenez Morales, 46, also of Centralia, was treated and has been transferred, a hospital spokesperson said this morning.

Sebastian had been heading northbound when a tire and wheel came off a southbound 1995 Ford Escort, bounced over the median and hit his car, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The 26-year-old Lacey man, Joseph A. Miranda, behind the wheel of the Escort, was uninjured, according to the state patrol.

The incident is under investigation by the state patrol.