Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a young woman and her boyfriend for stealing thousands of dollars from the woman's elderly grandmother earlier this year. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 20-year-old female subject and her 21-year-old boyfriend at Motel 6 on NE 7th Street at 12:52 p.m. Wednesday. Police said a woman in her mid-80s called 9-1-1 to report the incident. The caller said she allowed her granddaughter and her boyfriend to stay at her residence from January until April. During that time, the subjects allegedly stole her debit card and checkbook, taking about $6,000 through ATM withdrawals and cashed checks. Detectives contacted the grandmother's son-in-law who sent photos of the cashed checks and said he believed the subjects were staying with the granddaughter's mother in a motorhome near Walmart. They contacted the mother who directed them to Motel 6. Upon contact with the subjects at the motel, they admitted to taking the elderly woman's debit card and checks, and using them without her permission. The young suspects were placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft, Felony 1st-Degree Forgery and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, also a felony. Both were being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a local felony warrant last night following a trespassing complaint at a local fast food restaurant. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at the Taco Bell on NE Terry Lane on Wednesday around 10:15 p.m.. Police said they contacted a 41-year-old male subject who was yelling at customers while holding an open container of beer. They said he was highly intoxicated and had refused to leave the premises. A routine records check showed that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for Methamphetamine Possession, so he was placed into custody. While in the back of the patrol car, the man became extremely hostile, telling the officer that he was going to kill him, his family and that he should "die a horrible death." He then intentionally hit his head on the metal partition, causing a cut that required medical attention. He was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center where he received a bandage for his self-inflicted injury, but refused a CT scan. The doctor refused to medically clear him until he got the scan, which he finally did. The suspect was medically cleared and then transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was being held this morning on a no-bail detainer. His property was logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a felon for violating his post-prison supervision by driving while impaired in the downtown area yesterday. The Police Department reports officers initiated a traffic stop on a white Ford pickup driven by a 62-year-old male subject near the corner of NE 7th Street and Voorhies Way on Wednesday at 3:34 p.m.. Police said they observed the subject whom they knew by sight driving his pickup near Riverside Park while making several moving violations. Officers followed him and eventually pulled him over in the lot behind Arco at 7th and M streets. According to the report, the man displayed several signs of impairment and refused to participate in field sobriety tests. A search warrant was obtained and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented his high level of impairment. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Driving While Suspended and Felony Parole Violation. His pickup was impounded and hauled away by Goodfellas Towing.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for allegedly roughing up his wife at a residence in the north part of the city early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1800-block of NW 6th Street on Wednesday around 8:30 a.m.. Police said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that her husband slapped her three times on the face, slammed the door on her and pushed her. The caller said their baby was in the house when it happened, but the infant was sleeping. The victim advised she was not seriously hurt and denied medical attention. Officers arrived on scene, interviewed both parties and then placed the 26-year-old husband and father into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Domestic Harassment and was being held without bail. According to the report, the incident was reported to the Oregon Department of Human Services.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a felon who refused to leave the hospital this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at Three Rivers Medical Center on SW Ramsey Avenue late Tuesday night. Police said a 39-year-old man refused to leave the hospital after being asked to do so multiple times. While he was being placed into custody, the man tensed up his arms and attempted to use his weight to prevent being placed in handcuffs. He was eventually subdued. During a search of the suspect, a sling shot was located in his right front pocket. He is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing any weapons. The slingshot was seized as evidence. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon, Resisting Arrest, Criminal Trespass and the resulting Probation Violation related to past arrests for Methamphetamine Possession, Driving While Suspended and Furnishing False Information to Police.

 

A motorcyclist was injured yesterday in an early morning crash on Redwood Highway near Selma. On Wednesday at 5:55 a.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response and Oregon State Police were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision on US Highway 199 at Draper Valley Road. IVFD officials said arriving units discovered that a vehicle had run into the back of a motorcycle. They said the motorcycle rider was hurt and transported by AMR ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center. He was not identified in the report. OSP was investigating the cause of the crash.

 

Firefighters from the Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry were sent to two fires on the same road near Cave Junction yesterday. On Wednesday at 5:37 a.m., IVFD and ODF crews responded to a reported grass fire in the 900-block of Dick George Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found several areas along the road that were on fire, with passersby and local residents attempting to put them out. They said crews quickly extinguished the flames and the cause of the fires was under investigation. On Wednesday at 2:26 p.m., IVFD and ODF responded to a small electrical fire in the 4,000-block of Dick George Road. Officials said arriving units found a 16-square-foot blaze that had already been extinguished by the property owner. They said an electrical cord had caught on fire and spread to nearby grass surrounding a recreational vehicle. Crews left the scene after the small blaze was determined to be completely out.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man who led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through the Illinois Valley before crashing the stolen vehicle he was driving into a power pole, knocking out electrical service to local residents. The Sheriff's Office did not report the incident in its daily log, but jail records show a 39-year-old man identified as "Victor Ryan Taber" was booked Wednesday at 1:50 a.m.. Trusted sources report deputies spotted a stolen vehicle and started a pursuit, but the driver refused to yield while leading them on a high-speed chase that ended when the vehicle crashed into a power pole. There were no serious injuries reported, but a widespread power outage occurred due to the crash. The Grants Pass Police Department reports the suspect stole the keys to a woman's Audi Q3 while she was shopping at Walmart on Tuesday night. The Illinois Valley Fire District reports the crash occurred in the 900-block of Caves Highway. The suspect identified as "Taber" was placed into custody and transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for crimes including Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering a Highway Worker, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

 

Two men camping on Bureau of Land Management property in Josephine County were arrested this week for vandalizing the land and one of them was also arrested on a statewide felony warrant. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies contacted several people -- including the two arrestees -- on the BLM property in an undisclosed area on Tuesday. Deputies said they initially detained three people at gunpoint while investigating the illegal casite. Two of the three were arrested -- a 43-year-old male subject and a 40-year-old male subject. Both were charged with Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Offensive Littering after being placed into custody. A routine records check revealed that the 43-year-old man was also wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a conviction for Delivery of Methamphetamine. He was also charged with Escape and Interfering with a Police Officer. Ammunition was found at the campsite, but a firearm was not located. Both suspects were transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail. The older man was being held on a no-bail detainer.