Posts Tagged ‘news reporter’

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Monday, June 5th, 2017
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Updated at 5:33 p.m.

BREAK-IN CENTRALIA

• Centralia police were called just before 6 p.m. on Saturday to the 1400 block of South Gold Street where an unknown person broke the lock off a tool shed and went inside. It is unknown at this time what is missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A female reported that sometime someone cut through a window screen, reached inside a building and stole her purse at the 100 block of South Tower Avenue in Centralia. The theft was reported just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, and had occurred within the previous hour, according to the Centralia Police Department.

OTHER THEFT

• A 32-year-old woman was arrested yesterday for allegedly attempting to cash two checks over two days in April at Cedar Village IGA in Winlock payable to herself on the account of a woman who said she never gave her permission to take or use any of her checks, according to court documents. Lucia D. Spross, with a residence listed as in Longview in court documents, was booked into the Lewis County Jail. She was charged today with two counts of forgery and a judge in Lewis County Superior Court allowed her release pending trial on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

• Police were called about 8 p.m. on Saturday to take a report of the theft of a credit card in a case associated with the 1200 block of Mellen Street in Centralia.

• A black Schwinn bicycle was stolen from in front of a business in the 200 block of Downing Road in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 11:50 .m. yesterday. The bike is described as having saddle bags over the rear wheel, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Centralia police were called to the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue on Saturday night and again on Sunday morning, first for a report the rear license plate of a Ford Escape had been stolen and then a report that the back plate was missing from a Ford Focus.

BAD BILL

• A customer at the 1100 block of South Market Boulevard in Chehalis who attempted to spend what turned out to be a counterfeit $50 bill on Saturday night clearly didn’t know it was fake, according to the Chehalis Police Department. An officer took possession of the bad bill, according to police.

VANDALISM

• Centralia police took a report yesterday just after 7 a.m. that during evening hours someone threw a rock through the door of a business in the 200 block of West Pine Street.

• An individual reported just before 9 a.m. on Saturday that someone threw a rock through the windshield of her vehicle at the 1000 block of Kresky Avenue in Centralia.

GARAGE FIRE ADNA

• Four fire departments responded about 3:05 p.m. on Saturday to the 200 block of Chilvers Road when black smoke was reported seen coming from the garage of a residence. Arriving crews attacked the fire which was contained inside the garage, according to Lewis County Fire District 6. It was knocked down in just 16 minutes, according to department spokesperson DJ Hammer. The cause is under investigation.

• Firefighters responded to a report of a possible brush fire about 8:40 p.m. yesterday at Deep Creek Road near Bunker Creek Road but found a permitted burn with a proper fire line established around it, according to Lewis County Fire District 6.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A 17-year-old girl was transported to the hospital as a precaution after a single-vehicle wreck on the 300 block of Toledo-Vader Road on Saturday afternoon in which the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix she was driving was totaled. Deputies responding following the approximately 3:30 p.m. incident and the driver indicated she had apparently fallen asleep before her car traveled about 50 yards into a ditch, a culvert and then a tree, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The girl was cited for reckless driving, according to the sheriff’s office.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, trespassing, probation violation, misdemeanor assault, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, hit and run, third-degree theft, suspicious circumstances, vehicle collision… and more among 503 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 72-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Suspicious death in K-Mart parking lot still under investigation

Monday, June 5th, 2017
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Detectives begin to examine the interior of a car after getting a search warrant on Sunday.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Chehalis police say it appears the woman found dead yesterday inside a car at K-Mart died from a gunshot wound.

Officers responded just after 10 a.m. yesterday to a call of a suspicious death at the 1200 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

The light green 2001 Kia Rio was situated in a parking space at the far south end of the lot.

Department spokesperson Linda Bailey said a gun was found with the woman.

A search warrant was obtained, evidence was collected and the car impounded, according to police.

Police are awaiting a report from the coroner to confirm the identity, according to Bailey.

There was identification found with her, but the car is registered to someone else, Bailey said. The vehicle has Washington license plates, according to police.

As of this morning, nobody had contacted police about a missing person, Bailey said.

It’s the third time in six weeks a person has been discovered deceased inside a vehicle in the city of Chehalis.

The cause and manner of death in the previous two cases have not yet been released, although they did not include gunshot wounds, according to Bailey.

On April 21, the body of a 16-year-old boy was discovered inside his car parked at the Twin City Town Center, also on Northwest Louisiana Avenue. Cole Burbank of Camas had been reported missing eight days earlier by his parents and police subsequently concluded his Honda Accord had been parked at the shopping center since the day he disappeared.

Early on the morning of May 6, a man was found dead after a car fire, in a Honda Accord parked on residential property just south of the Yard Birds Shopping Center off Northeast Kresky Avenue. Robert A. Mansker, 48, was from Kelso.

The Lewis County coroner has said he is awaiting the results of various tests in those cases.

Bailey said the police department will release details in the new case as they become available.
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For background, read “Body discovered in vehicle in Chehalis store’s parking lot” from Sunday June 4, 2017, here

Body discovered in vehicle in Chehalis store’s parking lot

Sunday, June 4th, 2017
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Detectives begin to examine the interior of a car after getting a search warrant.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Police are investigating after a person was found dead inside a car parked in the lot at K-Mart in Chehalis today.

Chehalis Police Department Sgt. Rick McNamara said it was reported about 10 o’clock this morning.

He didn’t have much information and said a press release will be issued.

Officers, detectives and personnel with the Lewis County Coroner’s Office were gathered this afternoon at the south end of the lot on Northwest Louisiana Avenue.

The light green passenger car was parked at the far side of the lot and blocked off by police tape and a semi-circle of responders’ vehicles.

McNamara said they were working on finding out the identity of the person, he believed was a female. They had just secured a search warrant in order to get inside, he said.

The car has Washington license plates but the sergeant declined to say if police yet knew who the registered owner is.

It was just six weeks ago when the body of a 16-year-old boy from Camas was discovered in a Honda Accord parked in the lot of a shopping center just to the north of K-Mart, the Twin City Town Center. While the coroner is still waiting for the results of toxicology tests on Cole Burbank, authorities have said his death was not suspicious.

McNamara this afternoon said police don’t know yet if foul play might be involved in this death, but it’s customary to investigate as a suspicious death.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Friday, June 2nd, 2017
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•••

Updated

STUDENT ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING THREAT

• A 16-year-old Onalaska boy who allegedly threatened to get a gun, bring it to school and shoot a classmate “point blank” was arrested yesterday and booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said the alleged comment was made on Wednesday at Onalaska High School and was investigated that day and yesterday. Breen said a deputy was initially called to the school about 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday by another 16-year-old boy who discovered two tires were slashed on his vehicle. The boy said he suspected who had done it and that it stemmed from an exchange where he called the other boy a derogatory term after the other boy tried to poke him with a nail file in the buttocks during class, Breen said. The threat about the firearm occurred later in the day, according to Breen. When a deputy contacted the suspect’s father, the suspects father turned over four laptop computers which appeared to have been stolen from the school unbeknownst to the school, according to the sheriff’s office. The suspect was arrested for felony harassment and second-degree theft, according to Breen.

TWO MORE IMPLICATED IN VADER BURGLARY

• Deputies arrested a 36-year-old woman in Vancouver yesterday in connection with a March residential burglary at the 1000 block of state Route 506 in Vader in which  more than $40,000 worth of property was stolen. Stephanie M. Linke previously lived in the Vader area, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Linke’s significant other, 42-year-old Dustin I. Wynn, was arrested in the same case last month, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. Another suspect believed to have been involved was referred for charges that same day, Breen said. She is Kacie L. Conmy, 29, of Longview, and was transferred to the Lewis County Jail last week to face charges in the case. The sheriff’s office said among the valuables stolen were two vehicles, 13 guns and more than 50 antique model cars.

DRUGS

• Dakota W. Davidson, 22, of Centralia, was arrested for possession of methamphetamine after contact with police about 1 o’clock this morning at Harrison Avenue and Galvin Road, and then booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Centralia police were called to the 400 block of Lakeshore Drive at 9:50 p.m. yesterday on a report of a vehicle prowl, according to the Centralia Police Department. Taken were tools in a bag, according to police.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for drugs, warrants, shoplifting, misdemeanor domestic assault, driving with suspended license, driving with no license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, hit and run, suspicious circumstances, vehicle accident … and more among 171 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Thursday, June 1st, 2017
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DOMESTIC ASSAULT

• A Toledo man was arrested last night after he allegedly punched then repeatedly threw a family member to the ground after taking the phone away from her as she attempted to call 911 because he had poked his finger into her forehead, and assaulted another family member by throwing her into a wall and chair when she tried to intervene. Deputies called just before 11 p.m. to the 500 block of Evans Road found that Lloyd W. Swanson had also allegedly punched a glass curio cabinet, punched holes in the wall and punched through a screen door, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Swanson, 47, reportedly threatened to kill one of the family members, according to the sheriff’s office. His right forearm was cut, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said. Swanson was booked into the Lewis County Jail for felony harassment, and faces other potential charges such as fourth-degree assault, malicious mischief and interfering with domestic violence reporting, according to Breen.

OTHER ASSAULT

• A 19-year-old Centralia resident who allegedly spit in a security guard’s face at the 900 block of South Scheuber Road yesterday afternoon was arrested for fourth-degree assault. Colt M. Conzatti was issued a citation following the approximately 3:20 p.m. call and then released, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called over to Green Hill School yesterday to take a report of custodial assault that occurred on Saturday. A 16-year-old student-inmate allegedly hit an employee, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

FALSE NAME

• A 23-year-old Centralia man who allegedly gave someone else’s name as his own during a traffic stop last night at the 1600 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue was arrested for identity theft. Bradley G. Dubay, 23, was allegedly driving with a suspended license and he was booked in to the Lewis County Jail, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called to the 900 block of South Market Boulevard about 11 a.m. yesterday for a vehicle prowl in which a center console was stolen from a Jeep Wrangler.

VANDALISM

• Police were called about 11 a.m. yesterday to the 1500 block of Crescent Avenue in Centralia for vandalism to a moped.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• A driver and his passenger were injured and transported to Providence Centralia Hospital last night after a rollover wreck on state Route 6 about 10 miles east of Pe Ell. Austin T. Lewis, 20, of South Bend, was traveling eastbound in a Honda Civic when the car left the roadway, rolled and came to rest in a ditch, according to the Washington State Patrol. He and his passenger, Danielle G. Elder, 20, from Camas, had both been wearing seat belts, according to the state patrol. Troopers called just after 9 p.m. to the scene note the car was totaled. He was cited for unsafe lane travel, according to the investigating trooper.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, breach of public peace, protection order violation, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, hit and run, third-degree theft, harassment, suspicious circumstances, vehicle accident, misdemeanor domestic assault, third-degree malicious mischief  … and more among 138 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

Possible reprieve for dog implicated in goats’ deaths

Thursday, June 1st, 2017
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Detained in back of patrol car April 1, 2016. / photo from Lewis County Sheriff’s Office file

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Lewis County officials are contemplating a change in the law that would potentially offer one more chance for a 2-year-old pit bull terrier otherwise destined to be euthanized.

The tan and white dog was impounded last summer from its Winlock home, after it and its companion were accused of killing two neighbor goats and biting a pony’s face. Tank was declared a dangerous dog through a county administrative process and his owner didn’t follow through with meeting the stringent and costly requirements to continue to keep such a pet.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer earlier this month informed the Board of County Commissioners he learned that instead of putting the dog down, the Lewis County Animal Shelter changed its name to Hank and adopted him to a new family, without disclosing his pertinent background.

The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office investigated and retrieved Hank from his new home. Meyer said he would ask an outside prosecutor to investigate the actions of two county employees.

There is no provision under the county code to declassify a dangerous dog, according to Meyer.

But yesterday, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office presented to the county commissioners a draft amendment to the code which would, if passed, allow any person claiming an interest in an animal designated as dangerous to seek an order from Lewis County District Court to erase the label of dangerous.

Currently the owner of a dog deemed dangerous may have an administrative hearing to dispute the claim and can appeal that to a hearings officer, according to Lewis County Civil Deputy Prosecutor David Fine.

“This amendment gives a third option,” Fine said.

As written, the rules indicate the court would evaluate the animal, using the same criteria as the administrative procedure has already used.

But the judge would be able to take into consideration new evidence including present behavior, character and disposition of the animal, according to Fine.

The rural Centralia woman who adopted Hank in January is pleased to hear there’s a possible reprieve for the dog she brought into her family.

“We’ve done everything right,” Jann Propp-Estimo said yesterday afternoon. “All I want is Hank back.”

Propp-Estimo said they visited the Lewis County Animal Shelter to find a companion for their dog Bruce. She had Hank microchipped before leaving the shelter, got him his rabies shots and made sure he got a physical, she said.

Soon it became apparent Bruce didn’t care for the newcomer.

Her grown son and 9-year-old grandson live in town, but have dinner at Propp-Estimo’s home daily, and were happy to move Hank into their household, she said. She hired a contractor to build a new fence for their Centralia yard.

“We loved that dog, he was the best dog,” she said. “He stole our hearts.”

On May 9, a Lewis County sheriff’s deputy visited the family, explained there was a legal issue and Hank should not have been adopted out, according to the deputy’s report. The pit bull terrier was returned to the animal shelter.

The investigative report into how it came about that the shelter adopted out a dog designated as dangerous indicates what Prosecutor Meyer has already said.

There was a feeling the dog wasn’t really dangerous and Shelter Manager Amy Hanson reached out to an animal group to see if they could find a suitable owner.

Hanson noted in emails and interviews staff saw no signs of aggression to people, other dogs, cats or even kittens.

“This dog is truly something special! Never jumps up on you, will sit politely when asked, shakes hands and loves his stuffed toys. You know how dogs can get when they have been in the shelter setting for even a few days, well Tank completely continues to be a polite sweet dog at all times,” Hanson wrote.

Lewis County Civil Deputy Prosecutor Eric Eisenberg, who is among the county’s civil lawyers who advise county departments, was asked by the humane officer, the health department and the shelter what the options were for the dog under county code and was researching potential changes to the code.

He went on family leave, returned to work and went on leave again, and then once he learned the dog had been adopted out, notified his supervisor, according to Eisenberg and the deputy’s report.

Lewis County Board of County Commissioners Chair Gary Stamper said yesterday, after commissioners were presented with the draft amendment to the code, the change potentially could save Hank.

“It still doesn’t solve everything, but it moves it to the next level,” Stamper said.

The item titled,”Judicial removal of dangerous animal designation” will appear on the commissioner’s Monday morning meeting agenda. A public hearing will be set to discuss the matter.

Propp-Estimo said she has hired Bellingham animal lawyer Adam Karp, and has already reached out to the dog’s first owner and even the owner of the goats to learn more about the issue with livestock.

He was just a year old when that happened, and some blame his mother, a pit bull terrier named Sadie who was said to have been moved to another state, for instigating the attack, she said.

“Poor Hank, got left hanging out to dry,” she said.
•••

For background, read “Prosecutor: Lewis County employees broke rules regarding seized dog” from Thursday May 18, 2017, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

Wednesday, May 31st, 2017
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AUTO THEFT

• Centralia police arrested a 40-year-old woman for possession of a stolen vehicle last night in a case associated with the 300 block of South Gold Street in Centralia. Jennifer L. Barber, of Centralia, was also wanted on outstanding warrants and was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported this morning a deputy took a report on Monday of the theft of a red 2006 Ford F350 from its owner’s driveway at the 3500 block of Cooks Hill Road in Centralia. The vehicle disappeared sometime between 8 a.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. on Sunday, according to the sheriff’s office. Missing with the truck are a Glock handgun and a laptop computer, Chief Deputy Dusty Breen said.

FRAUD

• Chehalis police were called 200 block of Northwest Pacific Avenue yesterday morning about potential cyber fraud, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• A victim of a vehicle prowl at the 1300 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue in Chehalis called police just before 2 p.m. yesterday. A cell phone was taken from the unlocked vehicle, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A tool box was stolen from the back of a vehicle at the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 2 p.m. yesterday.

BAD BILL

• An officer was called about 1 p.m. yesterday to a business at the 1200 block of South Market Boulevard in Chehalis where a customer attempted to spend a possibly counterfeit $50 bill, and then shortly after that to the 1900 block of South Market Boulevard where a business kept a possibly counterfeit bill received from a customer, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The officer took possession of the bad bill, according to police.

• Chehalis police were called about 9:20 a.m. yesterday to the 2100 block of North National Avenue where an individual reported receiving a fake $20 bill.

SMALL FIRE

• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reports a case for reckless burning is being referred to juvenile prosecutors in connection with a 10-year-old boy allegedly using a lighter, igniting and damaging siding to a garage, windows and a mattress at the 300 block of Central Avenue in Onalaska on Monday.

LITTERING

• Centralia police arrested a 30-year-old woman for littering for allegedly discarding a lit cigarette onto the ground at the 100 block of South Pearl Street about 9:30 a.m. yesterday. Candice R. Baughman was issued a citation and then released, according to the Centralia Police Department. The same officer attested a 29-year-old woman for the same offense about 4:40 p.m. at the 600 block of West Main Street, according to police. Brittney N. Burgard was similarly arrested and then released.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, contempt of court, driving under the influence, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, hit and run, disorderly person, suicidal person, third-degree theft, unfounded report, harassment, suspicious circumstances, vehicle accident … and more among 151 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.