Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for breaking into Lewis Power Equipment and stealing a brand new log splitter early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 40-year-old Tom Curtis Milstead at Redwood Mini Storage on Monday at 8:23 p.m.. Police said they were initially alerted to the theft of a Brave log splitter valued at more than $2,500 from Lewis Power Equipment on Monday morning. The store manager had video surveillance of a spray-painted Subaru Impreza inside the shop yard. The suspect cut the locked gate, hooked up the log splitter to his vehicle and drove away. About 12 hours later, several callers reported the Subaru parked at Redwood Mini Storage with the log splitter attached to it. One of the callers identified the suspect as Milstead and advised that he often stays inside a storage unit. Officers responded and identified the wood splitter by its serial number. A Lewis Power Equipment employee arrived on scene and picked up the stolen splitter. Milstead eventually admitted to cutting the locked gate and stealing the wood splitter. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail pending his courtroom arraignment at 1:30 p.m. today.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a local felon for stealing packages off the front porch of a residence on the west side of the city yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the theft complaint in the 1600-block of Webster Road on Monday around 3:45 p.m.. There was video surveillance of the incident. Police said they watched the video and observed 48-year-old Dustin Troy Thatcher swipe two Amazon packages off the porch, depriving the victim of property valued at more than $54. They said the suspect then went into the restroom at Reinhart Volunteer Park and opened both packages. Upon realizing that he had stolen a phone case and hair gel, Thatcher returned the items and was confronted by the victim. Officers tracked him down and placed him into custody near Bi-Mart. His bicycle was logged into evidence for safekeeping. Thatcher was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft plus the resulting Felony Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a local man on four outstanding warrants yesterday while investigating a trespassing complaint at the downtown Safeway store. The Police Department reports officers responded to the trespassing call involving 38-year-old Kelcey Edwin Cummings at the supermarket on SE 7th Street at about 2:20 p.m. Monday. Police said they arrived on scene and spotted Cummings who took off running. He was known from previous law enforcement encounters. He was also known to be wanted on four Grants Pass misdemeanor warrants containing criminal allegations including two counts each of 2nd-Degree Theft, 3rd-Degree Theft, Escape and Criminal Trespass plus a single count of Methamphetamine Possession. Officers tracked down Cummings and placed him into custody at the SE J Street campground. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and was being held on $70,000 bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Medford man on outstanding warrants last night following a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Grants Pass. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a GMC Acacia driven by 41-year-old Stephen Lamonte Jordan in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 56 on Monday at 7:05 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped Jordan for a traffic violation and discovered that he was wanted on two Klamath County warrants for Criminal Mischief. He was placed into custody on the warrants and lodged at the Grants Pass jail facility. Jordan's vehicle was released to his 43-year-old female passenger.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a male transient for camping out in a handicap parking space outside a downtown financial institution late yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing call at People's Bank on SE 7th Street on Monday around 4:25 p.m.. Police said a bank employee called 9-1-1 to report a male subject later identified as 56-year-old Richard Brian Peebles was occupying a handicap parking space with his cart and refusing to leave. Officers spoke with bank employees who advised they had asked the man to leave multiple times and he refused. Officers contacted Peebles who told them there had been a misunderstanding as bank staff said he could stay there until 11 p.m.. The bank manager refuted that claim and wanted to pursue charges. Peebles was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail. His belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

One person was injured in a fiery motor vehicle accident in the Illinois Valley near Selma yesterday. On Monday at 2:49 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Illinois River Road and Squaw Creek Road. Upon arrival, emergency personnel discovered a vehicle that had been involved in an accident and was still on fire. After the fire was extinguished, a search of the vehicle and surrounding area was conducted to ensure that no other individuals were involved in the incident. No one else was found. IVFD officials said the occupant of the vehicle was located some distance away from the crash scene. The patient was transported by ambulance to an area hospital with unspecified injuries. The burnt vehicle was flagged for towing. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office did not respond, but was notified about the incident. It was unclear if there would be an investigation.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for her erratic behavior in the Redwood area of the city and on the way to the Josephine County Jail early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a disturbance in the 100-block of SW Jenn Way off Willow Lane and Redwood Avenue on Monday at 12:30 a.m.. Police said multiple callers reported a female subject screaming while trying to climb over a fence and enter a neighbor's house at that location. The callers advised the woman appeared to be under the influence of narcotics when she entered a parked vehicle and she was found sitting in the driver's seat. According to the report, 27-year-old Mari Anne Ortiz was placed into custody -- but she began kicking the patrol vehicle's holding compartment repeatedly and vigorously. She persisted despite numerous warnings and she was able to slip out of her handcuffs to flail around the interior of the patrol vehicle. She continued screaming, kicking and attempting to damage the vehicle. Upon arrival at the jail facility, Ortiz once again slipped out of her handcuffs and tried to lunge out of the patrol vehicle. She was eventually taken to the ground and subdued at Taser point. Ortiz was booked into jail for Disorderly Conduct and she was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant after he was contacted at the South Y Car Wash last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers were performing a patrol check in the area on Sunday morning when they spotted a group of people at the car wash in the 200-block of Redwood Highway. Police said they contacted 37-year-old Brian P. Stack after he was observed with a plastic drug tooter in his mouth. They did not find him with any illegal substances, but they discovered that he was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for three counts of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. Stack was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held on $35,000 bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local felony warrant and for narcotics possession while investigating a weekend theft complaint in the southwest part of the city. The Police Department reports 31-year-old Dakota Alan Ree was placed into custody at Westholm Park on Sunday at about 12:30 p.m.. Police said a caller in the 1100-block of SW G Street reported a male subject wearing a black mask took a bag of recyclable cans off their porch and took off toward the city park. That's where Ree was located and arrested. Upon contact with Ree, officers discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for two counts of 1st-Degree Theft. They also found him to be in possession of a small baggy containing a white crystal substance that field-tested positive as methamphetamine. Ree was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession. He was being held without bail.