Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a woman for breaking into a North Valley area home and taking an inexpensive piece of jewelry late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested the 30-year-old female subject for the incident in the 700-block of Brookside Boulevard on Thursday at 4:49 p.m.. Deputies said a man called 9-1-1 to report that a female transient had entered his home, rummaged through the house and stole a necklace valued at $40. The caller said the woman exited the house and started walking west on Brookside. Deputies searched the area and located the subject just a few blocks away, placing her into custody and recovering the stolen necklace. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Burglary, 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass and 3rd-Degree Theft. She was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a felon for stealing merchandise from Walmart and possessing a restricted weapon last night. The Police Department reports officers responded to the shoplifting complaint at the store on NE Terry Lane on Thursday around 7:40 p.m.. Police said an investigation determined that a 45-year-old male subject placed a new pair of shoes on his feet, ripped off the price tag and stashed his old pair under the shoe rack. They said he also skip-scanned multiple items at the self-checkout and passed all points of sale without paying. He was detained by loss prevention. The subject was found to be in possession of a spring-assisted knife and .22-caliber ammunition. No firearm was located. He is a convicted felon banned from carrying any kind of weapon. The knife and bullets were seized. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon and 3rd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

Two drivers were cited and one of them was hurt following a motor vehicle crash in southwest Grants Pass late yesterday. Grants Pass police officers and emergency personnel responded to the two-vehicle T-bone collision near the intersection of Allen Creek Road and Schutzwohl Lane at the entrance to Albertsons on Thursday at 5:50 p.m.. Police said an investigation indicated the male driver of a Toyota Camry was traveling south on Allen Creek Road when he tried to beat a red light and crashed into a Ford Contour trying to turn west into the shopping center. A witness told officers that both vehicles were in the intersection when the light turned red. The driver of the Ford was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries while the driver of the Toyota was not hurt. Both vehicles sustained damage from the wreck and were hauled away by Meraki Towing. Following the investigation, the female driver was cited for Making a Dangerous Left Turn and warned for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device. The male driver was cited for Driving While Suspended and No Insurance. He was also warned for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device and Expired Registration.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Washington man for impaired driving after he crashed into another vehicle on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 75 on Thursday during the noon hour. Troopers said an investigation determined that a Hyundai sedan driven by a 23-year-old man from Battle Ground, Washington, rear-ended a Ford sport utility vehicle driven by a person who was not identified in the report. No one was hurt. According to OSP, the Hyundai driver displayed signs of impairment, performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that was nearly three times the legal limit. The Washington man was lodged at the Sobering Center for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants. His damaged car was hauled to a Grants Pass impound yard by Allstar Towing.

 

A Grants Pass motorist escaped injury but not a citation after she crashed her car on Redwood Highway near Wonder yesterday. According to OSP, troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle wreck near milepost 14 of US Highway 199 on Thursday at 3:40 p.m.. Troopers said a 25-year-old woman was driving a Nissan Sentra at a high rate of speed when she left the highway and crashed. They said the woman denied medical attention, but her car was damaged and towed to Grants Pass. Following an investigation, the woman was cited for Speeding.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man wanted on a three-year-old felony warrant at a city park early yesterday. According to the Police Department, the 37-year-old male subject was placed into custody at Riverside Park on Thursday at 3:35 a.m.. Police said they contacted the subject during an early morning patrol check when he was found to be violating park rules. A routine records check revealed the man was wanted on a 2021 Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Theft. After the warrant was confirmed, the suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail where he was being held in lieu of posting $25,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted four campers for ordinance violations at city parks on Thursday. At Croxton Memorial Park, a man was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Misuse of Open Space. He was trespassed from the park for 30 days. One tent was posted for Illegal Camping and an e-mail was sent to United Community Action Network. At Eckstein Park, a woman had been warned Wednesday that she had set up her tent in a buffer zone. She told officers she would move her tent in lieu of a citation, but the tent had not been moved. Officers cited her for two counts of Buffer Zone Violation and excluded her from the park for 30 days. At Lawnridge Park, officers responded to a disturbance and contacted a woman who admitted to yelling at other people. She had been contacted Wednesday and warned for being in a buffer zone, but she had not moved her tent. She was cited for two counts of Buffer Zone Violation and trespassed for 30 days. Also at Lawnridge Park, a man was warned for Disorderly Conduct and cited for Buffer Zone Violation. He was issued a 30-day park exclusion.

 

The Josephine Marijuana Enforcement Team (JMET) raided an illegal cannabis growing site near Murphy yesterday. On Thursday, JMET -- with assistance from Josephine County Public Health & Building Safety -- served a search warrant in the 3,000-block of Southside Road. During execution of the warrant, more than 700 marijuana plants were seized and destroyed. The property also had multiple water and solid waste code violations, which could result in criminal forfeiture of the property. According to JMET, the primary suspect was not at the location during the raid. If located, they will be charged with Unlawful Manufacture of Marijuana as well as Unlawful Appropriation of Water. Detectives said the investigation is ongoing and no further details are being released at this time.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a young woman for slapping and kicking her elderly grandmother this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a home in the 900-block of NE Savage Street on Wednesday. Police said the 18-year-old female subject was upset because she was unable to find her drugs, so she began tearing up the house she shares with her mother and grandmother. When her grandmother confronted the girl and told her to stop, she slapped her with a wooden spoon and repeatedly kicked the elderly woman. According to the report, the grandmother refused medical treatment -- but she wanted to pursue charges against her granddaughter whom she accused of being a frequent user of methamphetamine, marijuana, mushrooms and "whip-its." Upon arrival, officers interviewed both parties before placing the suspect into custody. She was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mistreatment and Physical Harassment. She was being held without bail.