KLDR - Local News

IMET, JCSO Assist in Stopping Money Laundering Scheme

The owner and operator of Tienda Santa Maria II LLC has been charged with money laundering. This comes after Jose Alonso Paramo Arguello, 45, used his money service businesses to launder narcotics trafficking proceeds and structure financial transactions to avoid suspicion of law enforcement. A citizen of Mexico and unlawfully residing in the United States, he has been charged by criminal complaint with money laundering. According to court documents, Arguello is the owner and operator of the Phoenix business, along with two others, Tienda Santa Maria in Medford, and Paramos Barber Shop in Central Point. Arguello uses his three businesses to transfer narcotics trafficking proceeds to Mexico by breaking down transactions into smaller amounts and using fake names and addresses for the money senders to conceal the true nature and source of the funds. From January 2, 2024, through December 3, 2025, Arguello’s three money service businesses transferred more than $13 million in wire transfers of $500 or more to Mexico, an amount often indicative of narcotics trafficking. Of that, over $7 million was sent to locations in Mexico associated with narcotics trafficking. The Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) provided an informant with cash to attempt to wire money to Mexico.

Posted on 3/19/26 4:59AM by Chuck Benson

GPCC Divides Tourism Grants & Okays Tree Climbing Contests in Riverside

Grants Pass City Councilors Approved Tree Climbing Competition, Divided Tourism Grants and appointed several committee positions during Wednesday night's Business Session.The Council approved a resolution allowing Pacific Northwest International Society of Arboriculture to conduct commercial activity within Riverside Park as it conducts the Southern Oregon Region Tree Climbing Competition scheduled to run from April 10th through the 12th this year. Fees of $521.25 were waived.The Council then approved a second resolution awarding tourism promotion grants departing from the committee's recommendation. The Grants Pass Active Club and Hellgate Jetboat Excursions will receive $5,000 each. $2,500 will be awarded to Grants Pass High Band Boosters, Mainstreet Grants Pass Cruise, Rogue Valley Classic Cruisers, and the Rogue Valley Mountain Bike Association.The council authorized the city manager to amend the city's classification plan affecting four positions: the community service officer, the engineering supervisor, the facilities maintenance technician and an urban forester and trail coordinator. Councilors then appointed Rebecca Anderson, Wynnis Grow and Trevor House to the Tourism Advisory Committee.

Posted on 3/18/26 6:54PM by Chuck Benson

Man Lying on Ground Arrested by GP Police on Parole Detainer

Grants Pass Police arrested a man that was lying on the ground at the request of his parole officer.

Dispatch was notified of a man lying near the sidewalk at the corner of Ringuette Street and Union Avenue Tuesday at 4:43 p.m. The caller, having just driven by, reported the man looked like he was wearing scrubs and had a Band-Aid on his arm.

The caller requested officers conduct a welfare check on the man. Officers arrived, contacted Jake Thompson, and then notified his parole officer. A detainer was requested, so Thompson was taken into custody.

He had been released from Three Rivers Medical Center before being found on the ground. Officers transported and lodged Thompson in the Josephine County Jail on his detainer.

Posted on 3/18/26 11:31AM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Apprehended Resting Site Six North Suspect, Lodged on Warrants

Officers with Grants Pass Police arrested a man at Resting Site Six North on two warrants Tuesday.

The suspect, Robert Lowden, was observed at the 714 NW 6th Street site around 9:36 p.m. Upon contact and confirmation of his identity, it was determined he was wanted on two active and serviceable warrants. One out of the Police Department, and the other from the Oregon State Parole Board.

Lowden's warrants charged him with Possession of Methamphetamine and Assault. He also needed to be trespassed from the North Safeway. Officers cleared his warrants, and promptly took him into custody.

He was lodged in the Josephine County Jail, and his backpack was submitted into safekeeping.

Posted on 3/18/26 10:43AM by Alex Bauer

Trespassing Suspect Held at Gunpoint, Later Arrested by GP Police

Grants Pass Police were alerted to a trespassing complaint where the suspect was reportedly held at gunpoint.

A call to 911 reported the caller's father had a trespassing woman at gunpoint on their property in the 800 block of NE D Street. She was in their front yard saying she was trying to hide from her boyfriend, after which the father put the weapon away.

Officers and Oregon State Police Troopers arrived at the scene, and Elizabeth Marino was contacted. She admitted to trespassing on the property, and consented to a search of her backpack. Law enforcement discovered a glass pipe with white residue, which Marino stated would test positive for methamphetamine.

Following the positive test, officers detained Marino. The owner of the property advised it was possible two male suspects had run off when Marino was detained, and a window was found to be open. K-9 Maro was deployed to clear the property after announcements were made, but the residence was determined to be unoccupied.

Marino was transported to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged on charges of Meth Possession and Second Degree Trespass.

Posted on 3/18/26 10:21AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Deputies Pulled Over, Detained Driver for Criminal Mischief Charges

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver for criminal mischief charges and a detainer.

On Tuesday at 2:08 p.m., deputies pulled over a vehicle at the corner of Lone Mountain Road and Redwood Highway. The suspect driver, Mitchell Thornton, was advised he was under arrest due to probable cause in two different cases.

Thornton refused to get out of his vehicle, but deputies were able to take him into custody at 2:13 p.m. He was charged with four counts of First Degree Criminal Mischief, and his parole officer placed a detainer on him.

Deputies transported Thornton to the Josephine County Jail where he was subsequently lodged.

Posted on 3/18/26 9:35AM by Alex Bauer

BLM Improving Lower Table Rock Trail Access

The Bureau of Land Management is improving access at Lower Table Rocks trail by completing paving work on the Lower Loop Trail.

This work will temporarily close the trailhead, parking lot, and trail until mid-April, marking the final phase of paving improvements that began last fall.

The BLM expects the paving project to take about three weeks and will reopen the trail as soon as the work is complete. More than 50,000 visitors annually hike the Table Rocks, making it one of the most popular hiking locations in Southern Oregon.

The Upper Table Rocks Trailhead, located five miles away from Lower Table Rock, remains open. Other trails in the area offer alternatives, including the Jacksonville Woodlands Trail, Mountain of the Rogue, East Applegate Ridge Trail, and the Jack-Ash Trail.

Posted on 3/18/26 9:15AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Office, K-9 Unit, Apprehended Suspect with Felony Warrant

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office, with an assist from a K-9 Unit, arrested a man wanted on a felony warrant.

On March 13th at about 7:08 a.m., a deputy conducting Forest Service Patrol located two vehicles parked on the side of the road near milepost 3 on Illinois River Road.

Both vehicles had trash scattered around them. The deputy contacted a male in one of the vehicles and recognized him as 37-year-old Christopher Michael Harwood. He had a felony no-bail warrant for his arrest out of the Oregon State Parole Board charging him with Assault on a Peace Officer.

After being told he was under arrest, Harwood kicked out one of the vehicle’s windows and fled on foot down a steep hill toward the Illinois River.
Josephine County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Yana responded and conducted a search of the area.

Yana located and apprehended Harwood at the bottom of the hill under a tree near the river. During the apprehension, Harwood attempted to choke the K-9. Yana was uninjured and Harwood was taken into custody.

He was transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged for Second Degree Escape, Resisting Arrest, Interfering with a Law Enforcement Animal, and his warrant.

Posted on 3/18/26 7:39AM by Alex Bauer

Fatal Highway 238 Crash Occurred Sunday, OSP, Applegate Fire Responded

Oregon State Police responded to a fatal single-vehicle crash on Highway 238, near milepost 12, in Josephine County Sunday at 9:21 p.m. The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Ford F-150, operated by Jacob David Bailey, 33, of Grants Pass, failed to negotiate a curve, left the roadway, and rolled multiple times. Bailey was declared deceased at the scene. The highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by Applegate Fire.

Posted on 3/18/26 5:26AM by Alex Bauer

I.V. Fire District Responded to Traffic Accident, Suppressed Vehicle Fire

Two vehicle incidents Tuesday prompted the response of the Illinois Valley Fire District.

At 1:56 p.m., a traffic accident occurred in the 2000 Lone Mountain Road in O'Brien.

I.V. Fire, AMR, and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the same location as a previous incident. A single vehicle collided with two parked cars and subsequently came to rest on the hillside.

The individual involved self-extricated and sustained no injuries. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the incident, and the vehicle was removed from the scene.

Then at 9:44 p.m., I.V. Fire responded to a vehicle fire on Kerby Mainline Road in Kerby. The fire had descended a hillside and branched out into the surrounding vegetation.

Fire suppression efforts helped in containing forward spread of the fire. An investigation is being conducted.

Posted on 3/18/26 4:59AM by Alex Bauer

BCC Workshop Covers County Property Business

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners began their workshop with Legal Counsel Business. A motion to adopt a policy addressing criteria for exclusion from county property and Telephonic Contact Prohibition passed 3-0, with added language for clarification of electronic communication. Legal Counsel Wally Hicks presented a policy for news media meeting attendance, particularly in executive sessions. He recommended reaching out to the community to comment on the policy for a week, then bring the results to the board for a decision. The board moved to approve the order in repealing the implementation of the clear bag policy with the exception of the language. A motion to accept a full price offer for 210 Tacoma property, after paperwork identifying no potential FAA or financial issues are located, passed 3-0. Commissioner Ron Smith dissented on a motion to approve counter offers for the Dimmick Campus, and staff was instructed to continue working until a 1798 SE N Street lease agreement is finalized regarding a Memorandum of Understanding between the county and HP Civil, Inc.

Posted on 3/17/26 3:15PM by Alex Bauer