Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

August 6th, 2013

AUTO THIEF STRIKES AT COURTHOUSE PARKING LOT

• Someone stole a car out of the parking lot at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis yesterday. An officer summoned about 5:15 p.m. to the 300 block of Northwest North Street was told the doors to the light blue 1991 Geo Prism had been locked, with the windows rolled up, according to police. It happened sometime after 3:30 p.m., according to the Chehalis Police Department. The large lot to the east of building that houses the sheriff’s office is also where judges, prosecutors and deputies park. The car has a red hatchback; there are no suspects, Officer Linda Bailey said.

MORE AUTO THEFT

• A red 1994 Subaru Impreza was reported stolen about 2:30 a.m. today from the 1300 block of Lum Road in Centralia. It has a license plate reading AEZ 6048, according to the Centralia Police Department.

SUSPECTED THIEF FOUND BY K9

• Centralia police say they arrested a suspected car prowler who was found by a police dog hiding in some bushes early this morning. The incident was associated with a time of 3:34 a.m. and a location on the 1200 block of Elm Street. Booked into the Lewis County Jail was James A. Jollineau, no age provided, from Centralia, according to the Centralia Police Department.

UNRULY MAN

• A 31-year-old man from Keizer, Ore., who was allegedly causing a disturbance in a park on the 100 block of South Pearl Street in Centralia was arrested because he refused to cooperate with an arriving police officer yesterday evening. Randall P. Martin was booked into the Lewis County Jail for obstructing a public servant, according to the Centralia Police Department.

FOUR VADER TEENS ACCUSED OF RANSACKING VACATION HOME

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning that last month’s break-in to a Vader vacation home has been solved and was wrapped up on Monday. A 15-year-old boy and a 14-year-old boy were booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. Last week deputies arrested a pair of boys, ages 13 and 16. Brown said the youngsters confessed to stealing numerous items – including aftershave, a 22 rifle and 30 bottles of expensive wine. They said they went down to the nearby river and drank the alcohol but tossed the other goods into the water, Brown said. The owner discovered the burglary at his place on the 200 block of Sixth Street; the back door kicked in and the home ransacked, according to Brown. The sheriff’s office said a dive team is going to try to find the missing property later this week.

FOUND DRUGS

• A Chehalis police officer was called to Wal-Mart yesterday morning after a small plastic bag with green polka dots containing white powder was found near an employee’s work station. The suspected methamphetamine was taken to the police department for storage and there are no suspects and as no arrest, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CRYING BABY

• A Chehalis police officer was called to the Twin City Town Center about 7 p.m. yesterday to a report of a crying infant left alone inside a parked car. The vehicle was gone when the officer arrived and couldn’t be located, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for driving under the influence; responses for alarms, dispute, allegations of theft, found bicycle, stolen bicycle, someone scratching the paint on someone else’s vehicle, dog left in parked vehicle; complaints of neighbor’s outdoor drum set  … and more.

News brief: Potential attempted child abduction averted in Centralia

August 6th, 2013

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A Centralia man was arrested last night for allegedly trying to lure a 9-year-old girl from her yard.

Police were called just after 6 p.m. following the incident on the 500 block of South Rock Street when the child told relatives a man had been walking back and forth in front of her home and then asked her to help him out with something, Centralia Police Department Officer John Panco said.

“The little girl was smart enough to run inside and tell her mom,” Panco said.

Panco said the mother got a look at the subject and a short time later, spotted him getting into a vehicle at the Fuller’s Shop ‘N Kart store on South Pearl Street. He was arrested soon after on the 700 block of Tower Avenue, Panco said.

Nicholas S. Lange, 48, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for luring. Panco said he didn’t have further details about Lange this morning.

Centralia medics concerned about recent heroin overdoses

August 6th, 2013

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

It appears there’s a bad batch of heroin on the streets, which has been responsible for at least one death in recent days in Centralia.

A 25-year-old man brought to the fire station overnight was revived and taken to the hospital, and fire department leaders want to get the word out.

“The fire chief wants us to let people know that do heroin, the stuff that’s out there that may be ‘hot’, a little bit strong,” Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Tim Adolphsen said this morning.

Crews from the North Pearl Street station have dealt with three cases in the last four days, Adolphsen said. One person didn’t survive, he said.

A male called 911 about 1:30 a.m. today saying he was driving toward Centralia from Tenino, and that his passenger wasn’t breathing very well, was pretty much out of it, Centralia Police Department Officer John Panco said.

Medics waiting outside the station administered Nar-Can and took the patient to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to responders. The driver left before police arrived, Panco said.

So far this year, the Lewis County Coroner’s Office has two confirmed heroin overdose deaths, which is not a lot in the grand scheme of things, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Dawn Harris. Both individuals died in the Centralia area, she said, but they were not recent.

They do have the one new case in which the cause of death is not yet known, she said.

Fire departments in Chehalis, Rochester and Tenino said they aren’t aware of a specific current problem with heroin overdoses.

Tina Vanderhoof at Thurston County Fire District 12 which handles the Tenino area said this morning she has heard of issues going on “up north” but didn’t have further details.

On Saturday, a driver was found unconscious with a syringe in his hand after running into a fence and then the ditch in Chehalis, but it’s not clear yet what drug he may have been using, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

In Centralia, the fire department said further information about the issue should be obtained from the police department. Panco, a spokesperson for the police department, said he was only aware of the one case.

The Tenino man whose life was saved by Centralia firefighters was still alive this morning, and well enough that he was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to Panco.

Panco said suspected heroin was found in his pocket, so Stephen C. Smith, 25, was arrested for possession.

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

August 5th, 2013

Updated

LOST HIKER FOUND INJURED SOUTH OF PACKWOOD

• A 66-year-old hiker who got turned around and spent the night in the forest in East Lewis County was located just after 6 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Search and rescue personnel were called to the Walupt Lake Horse Camp about 1:30 p.m. that day and told the woman, from White Salmon did not return the night before when she walked to Walupt Creek Falls, according to the sheriff’s office. A search dog found her backpack and others located rocks formed into an arrow pointing to where she had bedded down, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. The woman was found along the Cispus River and carried out, as she had fallen down and injured her head, ribs and ankles. Brown said. She was taken to a hospital near her home to be treated for dehydration, according to Brown.

MAN ARRESTED FOR POINTING GUN

• A 40-year-old Lacey man who allegedly pointed a pistol at another male during an argument inside a vehicle yesterday morning in Centralia was arrested for first-degree assault. Officers responding about 10 a.m. to the 700 block of East Third Street took Thelonious C. Morrison into custody and booked him into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department. Sgt. Stacy Denham said the victim, who is in his 20s, reached for something prompting Morrison to pull out his weapon. The pair – who Denham characterized as friends – were in the backseat together. The driver slammed on his brakes and the victim jumped out, he said. Morrison was also booked for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to police.

BURGLARY THROUGH OPEN WINDOW

• Centralia police responded just before 7 a.m. today to a home burglary in which someone entered through an open window during the approximately 15 minutes while the resident was out. It happened on the 1400 block of Lum Road, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BARN THEFTS

• An estimated nearly $1,300 of items were stolen from a barn yard on the 1300 block of Wildwood Road in Curtis sometime between Friday and Saturday morning, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Among the missing are an oil cooler and air conditioner to a farm tractor, according to the sheriff’s office.

• A wood stove and a metal tire rack were stolen from a barn on the 500 block of Telegraph Road west of Toledo. A deputy called on Friday night was told the property was in foreclosure and the items had been taken sometime during the previous week, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

CAR PROWL

• Police were called to the 1400 block of Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis about 8:15 p.m. on Saturday after an individual came out of a convenience store and found their iPhone missing from their vehicle. The door had been locked but a rear hatch was not, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

SEX CRIME

• Centralia police were contacted yesterday by a female who reported a rape by a male she knows. The case is under investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

POLICE DOG TRACK

• A deputy and a K-9 responding about 8:30 p.m. yesterday to a reported vehicle accident at the 1000 block of Shorey Road west of Chehalis found little damage to the vehicle but tracked down its alleged driver hiding in blackberry bushes about two blocks away, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Terry M. Munsell, 39, of Rochester, was arrested on an outstanding warrant and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

POLICE PURSUIT

• A police pursuit from Pacific County down state Route 6 ended near Interstate 5 in Chehalis after police set out “spike strips” and deflated at least one tire on a vehicle late Friday night. Chehalis Police Department Deputy Chief Randy Kaut said the initial call was about a suicidal person, but he didn’t have all the details. The driver was taken into custody, Kaut said.

FEMALES HIT BY CAR

• Centralia police cited a motorist for failing to yield for a pedestrian in a crosswalk after two women were struck at the intersection of Main Street and Tower Avenue in Centralia last night. It happened about 8:10 p.m. Riverside Fire Authority said both patients were taken to Providence Centralia Hospital for evaluation. Police said the injuries to the women, ages 59 and 66, were minor.

WRECK

• A 23-year-old Centralia man was taken to the hospital and then booked into jail after a single-vehicle collision just before 4 p.m. on Saturday at the 800 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis. The driver was found unconscious with a syringe in his hand after running into a fence and then the ditch, according to the Chehalis Police Department. Michael A. Hammett said he had been taking Oxycontin or morphine, but a white powder that field tested positive for amphetamines was found in his vehicle, Deputy Chief Randy Kaut said. He was arrested for a violation of the uniform controlled substances act, according to police.

PIZZA PLACE OVERLOAD

• K-Mart in Chehalis was evacuated yesterday evening when the fire department was called about an apparent electrical fire in the Little Caesars Pizza portion of the building. Crews responding about 6:45 p.m. to the business on Northwest Louisiana Avenue found a short had snapped a circuit breaker and cased a spark, just like it did about two weeks ago, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. The pizza kitchen was told it must remain closed until it gets the issue inspected, Firefighter Steve Emrich said.

ANIMAL ATTACK

• Morton police reported this morning two dogs were locked up after allegedly killing a cat in its own backyard on the 100 block of Division Avenue last week. An officer was called on Monday afternoon learned the cat owner had detained the canines. They were transported to the Lewis County Animal Shelter, according to the Morton Police Department.

THE PARTY’S OVER

• Two people were hospitalized with possible alcohol poisoning, a handful of under age individuals contacted for drinking and a bon fire extinguished after a large party in the woods was broken up on Saturday night northwest of Centralia. Deputies arriving about 11:30 p.m. to the area off the 300 block of Lepisto Road estimated as many as 1,000 were in attendance but several hundred people ran into the woods, according to the sheriff’s office. Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said the party was dubbed “Project W” and appeared to include mostly individuals from outside Lewis County. The organizers said they would not be returning, as the sheriff’s office ruined their fun, Brown said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for misdemeanor domestic assault, driving under the influence; responses for alarms, shoplifting, non-injury collisions, suspicious circumstances, theft of political sign from yard, items not returned to a furniture rental center; complaints of loud music, panhandlers in front of a business, dog left inside hot car, dog wandering into hotel, child yelling at dog, barking dog, black cat running loose … and more.

News brief: Trees, brush ignite again at Scatter Creek Wildlife Area

August 4th, 2013
2013.0804.caseroadsecondfire_2

Another fire breaks out at the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area north of Grand Mound. / Courtesy photo by West Thurston Regional Fire Authority

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Firefighters from six agencies responded this afternoon when another fire broke out at the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area north of Grand Mound.

Crews called about 2:30 p.m. found burning grass and brush adjacent to Case Road at the 16300 block which quickly spread into a small stand of fir trees, according to West Thurston Regional Fire Authority.

It was just a week ago when two acres in the same area were charred, and a large old wood barn was destroyed by fire.

Fire Chief Robert Scott said the state Department of Natural Resources is investigating the cause of today’s blaze.

It’s point of origin appeared to be a ways off the road and there’s “zero possibility” any vegetation rekindled from last Sunday, Scott said. Personnel from DNR were out there two days last week making sure that fire was out, he said.

Firefighters brought today’s fire under control limiting it to just over an acre, according to Scott.

His department was joined by members of Riverside Fire Authority, Thurston County Fire Districts 12, 6 and 13, as well as DNR. Nobody was injured, according to Scott.

Crews will be out there this evening conducting mop up, he said.

Scott said it’s fairly unusual for trees to torch off like they did today, on this side of the mountains, but it’s dry out. And the fire season is just beginning, he said.

Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

August 3rd, 2013

INTRUDER DISCOVERED INSIDE CENTRALIA HOME

• Centralia police were called to the 500 block of North Buckner Street yesterday when a resident found a young man inside her home. He climbed out a window to avoid her and ran south down Buckner, according to the Centralia Police Department. It happened about 11:20 a.m. when the female returned home after only being gone a couple of minutes, according to police. It’s not clear if anything was stolen. Police describe the intruder as a white male, perhaps in his mid-20s, with tattoos on both hands. He was wearing a blue shirt and black baseball hat, with a white star on its back, police say. Similar incidents in recent days in Tenino have prompted police there to urge the public to keep their doors locked.

UNHAPPY TENANT

• A 26-year-old Centralia woman was arrested for felony harassment yesterday after she allegedly threatened to kill her property manager at the 1100 block of South Pearl Street. Officers called about 4:25 p.m. booked Cassandra R. Sines into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

UNPLEASANT CUSTOMER

• A 43-year-old Kennewick man who allegedly tried to pick fights with customers at a Centralia gas station on the 1200 block of Mellen Street was arrested for disorderly conduct. Officers responding about 9:45 p.m. booked Servando G. Marquez into the Lewis County Jail,according to the Centralia Police Department. He was also wanted on two outstanding warrants, according to police.

UNCONSCIOUS SHOPPER

• Police responding to a report about 8:30 a.m. on Thursday about a male passed out in the bathroom of a grocery store in Centralia ended up arresting Bo D. Rupert, 19, of Auburn, for minor in possession or consumption of alcohol. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

MISSING AUTOMOBILE

• A gray 2000 Nissan Sentra was reported stolen from the 800 block of Centralia College Boulevard in Centralia on Thursday afternoon. The car has custom wheels, according to the Centralia Police Department.

MISSING QUADS

• Police were called to the 800 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia on Thursday to take a report regarding two ATVs which were stolen.

MISSING MEDS

• Prescription medication was stolen in a car prowl on the 100 block of South Diamond Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police on Thursday.

VANDALISM

• Police took a report yesterday morning of two tires on a vehicle getting slashed overnight at the 800 block of West Pear Street in Centralia.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, driving with suspended license, misdemeanor domestic assault … and more.

News brief: Beware of seemingly innocent activities with high fire danger

August 3rd, 2013

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Even the spark from a mower blade striking a rock can ignite a brush fire with the increasingly dry conditions, according to officials who are urging the public to take extra precautions to prevent wildfires.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling two major wildfires near Wenatchee and Goldendale, making demands upon both regional and statewide personnel and equipment, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Already limited outdoor burning has been restricted even further this week with the banning of campfires on all forestland and other property that is protected by DNR.

Lewis County put restrictions in place almost two weeks ago; although recreational fires in approved sites or receptacles are still allowed.

Most wildfires are human caused, according DNR, with sources such as welding or grinding metal out of doors, target shooting at rocks or metal, tossing lit cigarettes or even the hot mufflers of vehicles.

“Dry grass touching a vehicle’s hot exhaust system could start a major fire, especially when the wind is blowing,” Bruce Bjork, chief of enforcement for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a news release yesterday.  “If you’re driving through the woods or open range, please stay on the road surface until you find a paved or graveled area to park.”