Lewis County Sirens.com

POLICE: THRIFT STORE INTRUDER WAS COLD

• A 20-year-old man was arrested yesterday after a short chase in Mossyrock and jailed for allegedly repeatedly sneaking into a thrift shop to spend the night. In early February, police were called to the 100 block of Williams Street where someone had broken in, taken a bath, slept in a makeshift bed and then departed with clothing, knives and about $15 cash. Police Chief Jeremy Stamper said it turns out the intruder has been staying there at other times, most recently Tuesday night. Stamper said he has been double checking to make sure the shop windows were locked up and surveillance cameras had been installed. They’ve even taken a K-9 through, he said. On Tuesday night, the wires to the cameras were cut, Stamper said. Yesterday afternoon, Stamper attempted to talk to a person of interest, who fled on foot from the 200 block of East Main Street. Stamper caught up to Adam I. McGowen, 20, and questioned him, the chief said. Stamper said McGowen admitted to staying in the shop four times. “The last few times he’s been cleaning up his bed, the first time, he didn’t have time cause he slept in,” Stamper said. McGowen was arrested and booked for burglary. McGowen also yesterday admitted, according to the sheriff’s office, to breaking into the St. Ives Church in Silver Creek, taking food and spending the night. Stamper said McGowen has an address at his parent’s home in Mossyrock. He said he did it because he was cold, according to Stamper.

THEFT

• A dark purple Saturn was reported stolen from the 400 block of Ash Street in Centralia just before 10 a.m. yesterday, according to police. It has a license plate of 079 TBA.

• A deputy took a report yesterday morning from King Road in Winlock about several parts stolen from a log loader on Port Blakely property, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. An oil cooler, two batteries and copper wiring were stripped from the piece of equipment, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. A CB was taken as well, according to Brown. The damage and loss were estimated at more than $7,000, Brown said.

• Police were called about 3:40 p.m. yesterday to a vehicle prowl on the 2700 block of Mount Vista Road in Centralia. A small amount of money was taken, according to the Centralia Police Department.

VANDALISM

• Someone broke the front and rear windows from a vehicle parked on  the 600 block of Alder Street in Centralia, according to a report made to police just before 1 o’clock this morning.

• Police took a report about 10:15 p.m. yesterday of a window shot out with a BB gun on the 100 block of Virginia Drive in Centralia.

SCHOOL BUS WRECKS TWICE IN ONE DAY

• An Onalaska school bus was involved in two accidents yesterday, but nobody was injured, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy called about 2 p.m. to the 300 block of Burchett Road learned the driver had missed a bus stop so she activated her warning lights, backed up and struck a pickup truck behind her. The damage was limited to the truck’s bumper, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. A different driver drove the bus away, and at about 2:30 p.m. was attempting to turn the bus around and put it into a ditch on the 200 block of Jorgenson Road, Brown said. There were no children on board, she said. The damage to the undercarriage was estimated at $3,000, according to Brown.

Updated at 1 p.m.

INTRUDERS ESCAPE WITH MARIJUANA PLANTS FROM TOLEDO HOME

• A Toledo-area man returned to his home last night to find three or four people in his house stealing his marijuana plants. The 31-year-old resident on the 500 block of Jackson Highway told deputies the intruders fled on foot into the woods, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The man and his friend gave chase but stopped when they heard what sounded like a gunshot and waited for deputies to arrive, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said this morning. It happened just before 9 p.m. The victim has an authorization for medical marijuana, according to Brown. He didn’t get a very good description of the thieves, but had the impression they were younger, she said. The loss is 12 marijuana plants, valued at $120, according to Brown.

FIRE BREAKS OUT IN CHEHALIS BEDROOM

• A family escaped a house fire last night in Chehalis without injury but their home sustained an estimated $10,000 damage. Firefighters called about 9:45 p.m. to the two-story home on the 600 block of Southwest McFadden Avenue found smoke coming out of the eves and the three occupants outside already, according to Chehalis Fire Department Capt. Kevin Curfman. “Fire had started in a bedroom near a (wall) heater and extended through the ceiling into the attic,” Curfman said. Chehalis was joined by members of Lewis County Fire District and Riverside Fire Authority, according to Curfman. The fire was under control by just after 10:20 p.m., he said. The damage was such they were able to stay in the home, he said.

CENTRALIA BEDROOM FIRE

• Firefighters were called just after 7 a.m. yesterday to the 900 block of Ham Hill Road in Centralia. They were able to douse the fire in an upstairs bedroom with less than 25 gallons of water, according to Riverside Fire Authority Assistant Chief Rick Mack. A bed was burned; the cause is under investigation, Mack said. The two occupants had been alerted by smoke alarms, according to Mack.

CAR CATCHES FIRE BY FIRE DEPARTMENT

• Firefighters were called about 8:40 p.m. yesterday when a car’s engine caught fire a block or so south of the fire station on North Pearl Street in Centralia. The driver said her vehicle had begun to run “rough” a couple of miles earlier and she pulled over and got out, Riverside Fire Authority Assistant Chief Rick Mack said. “It pretty well destroyed it,” he said.

BURGLARY

• An 81-year-old Vader woman called 911 yesterday after she discovered someone had ransacked her bedroom and stolen silver dollars and 50 cent coins. The burglary on the 900 block of state Route 506 occurred sometime between 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. yesterday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• Police were called just after 7 p.m. last night to the 1100 block of G Street in Centralia where someone had gone inside a home and stolen a laptop computer and tools. It appeared they broke a small window to access the lock, according to the Centralia Police Department.

UNWELCOME VISITORS

• Police were called to the 2200 block of North Pearl Street in Centralia yesterday after a discovery intruders had been staying in a small apartment adjacent to a barn. The door had been kicked open and beer bottles and partially burned candles were found inside, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called late yesterday afternoon to a break-in to a vacant home on the 400 block of Riverside Drive in Chehalis. The front door was kicked in but nothing appeared to be missing, according to Sgt. Gary Wilson.

SHERIFF’S OFFICE: RANDLE MAN THREATENS TO KILL HIS FAMILY

• Deputies were called to the 100 block of Young Road in Randle about 12:30 a.m. today where a woman told them her ex-husband had threatened to shoot his entire family and then himself, or load them up in a car and drive them off a cliff. Deputies were also told the 43-year-old man had thrown a cell phone at his teenage step-daughter and shoved his ex-wife, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was not found so the sheriff’s office is asking the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office to file a charge against him of felony harassment, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

INTRUDER HELD AT GUNPOINT

• A 26-year-old Randle man was detained by a resident with a shotgun early Sunday morning after he was suspected of breaking into a pump house and allegedly trying to kick in a door of the nearby home on the 11,000 block of U.S. Highway 12, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Evan R. Tashelle said he was just trying to get warm, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown. He was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for first-degree trespassing, Brown said.

DOGNAPPING ALLEGED

• The sheriff’s office reported yesterday the landlord of an Ethel-area rental home was arrested for allegedly sneaking into the home and stealing a puppy he told his tenant he could not keep there. A deputy called to the 2000 block of U.S. Highway 12 on Monday found footprints inside the home which matched the boots of the landlord, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Arrested for residential burglary was Brian S. Steward, 46, Brown said. Steward denied going into the home, according to Brown. The 6-month old Pit Bull and Labrador mix has not been found, she said. A container of laundry detergent was missing as well, Brown said.

PUPPY STOLEN

• A deputy took a report on Monday from the area of Jackson Highway and state Route 508 that a man stole a black Heeler puppy valued at $300, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A 47-year-old man described as transient was selling puppies on the side of the road and said the prospective buyer took a dog, put it in a vehicle and drove away, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

THEFT

• The sheriff’s office reported yesterday that someone kicked open a door of a home on the 100 block of Roth Road in Winlock and stole a television, a laptop computer, a cell phone and eight boxes of ammunition. The break-in was discovered about 5 p.m. on Friday when the resident returned home, according to Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown.

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday that a woman at the 1800 block of Van Wormer Street in Centralia discovered someone had broken into a locked box in her bedroom and stolen about $10,000.  It appeared someone used a key to get in it and it happened in the days before last Wednesday, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. A deputy was told the woman’s son had had friends visiting the home, according to Brown.

• Centralia police were called about 11:50 p.m. yesterday to the 700 block of South Silver Street about someone breaking into a storage shed. It’s not clear what might have been taken, according to Centralia Police Department.

• A deputy was called to St. Ives Church in Silver Creek where someone had tried to force open a door sometime between Sunday night and Monday, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

• A deputy was called to the 2400 block of Lincoln Creek Road where someone had damaged a garage door trying to break in, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday. It occurred sometime last week, according to the sheriff’s office.