Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two local warrants while investigating a case of graffiti tagging on a recently closed restaurant. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted Wednesday morning to vandalism at the building on NE Agness Avenue that formerly housed Shari's Cafe & Pies. Police said 38-year-old Charles Lee Shull and several other people were contacted as suspects of the graffiti incident which was called in by a passing motorist. The caller reported observing two subjects painting graffiti on the south-facing wall of the building. The tag was silver spray paint with 12-inch letters that read "Thanks Love." During the investigation, officers discovered that Shull was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for failing to appear in court for Robbery along with a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd- and 3rd-Degree Theft. Shull was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrants and he was being held on $35,000 bail. The investigation into the graffiti tagging was continuing as it was similar to other graffiti applications in town.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outside felony warrant yesterday during a downtown patrol check. The Police Department reports officers contacted 33-year-old Zane Raynier Hatcher at the corner of SE 6th and I streets on Wednesday at 11:35 a.m.. Police said they were familiar with Hatcher from previous law enforcement contacts and knew that he was wanted on a Medford Police Department felony warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for 1st-Degree Theft. Hatcher was placed into custody without incident. He was lodged in jail on the warrant and was being held on $10,000 bail.

 

The Oregon State Police was investigating a hit-and-run crash that occurred last night on Caves Highway in Cave Junction. OSP reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle wreck on State Route 46 at Old Stage Road on Wednesday at 8:33 p.m.. Troopers said a preliminary investigation indicates a Toyota Scion driven by a 58-year-old man was waiting for traffic to clear so it could turn onto Old Stage from the highway. That's when a Ford Edge driven by a 41-year-old man rear-ended the Toyota and caused significant damage to the vehicle, which was towed. One person was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with what appeared to be minor injuries. No one else was hurt. According to OSP, the driver of the Ford failed to provide the required information and left the scene. However, troopers are aware of his identity and the investigation was continuing. Because of the injury, the suspect could be charged with Felony Hit-and-Run.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving after she crashed her vehicle into landscaping near a funeral home on the west side of the city last night. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the single-vehicle wreck at Chapel of the Valley on the corner of Lincoln Road and G Street on Wednesday at 9:48 p.m.. Police said a 68-year-old woman was driving a gold Ford Explorer when she lost control of the vehicle, went off the roadway and crashed into landscaping next to the funeral home. Another motorist witnessed the mishap and called 9-1-1, stating they saw someone in the vehicle with the dome light on. Responding officers contacted the woman who displayed multiple indicators of impairment by alcohol. They said she performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. The suspect was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. She was cited to appear in court and released, but her vehicle was impounded.

 

An Eagle Point woman was killed this week when she was struck by a vehicle on Highway 62 in Jackson County. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the vehicle versus pedestrian accident near milepost 13 of Crater Lake Highway on Monday at 7:53 p.m.. Troopers said a preliminary investigation indicates 29-year-old Yesica Valenzuela-Quezada chased a puppy from a nearby residence onto the highway and was struck by an eastbound Chevrolet Tahoe driven by a 45-year-old Eagle Point woman. Valenzuela-Quezada was declared deceased at the scene, while the motorist was not injured. Highway 62 was impacted for approximately three hours during the on-scene investigation. The operator of the Chevrolet remained on scene and cooperated with investigators. OSP was assisted by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Jackson County Fire District #3, Eagle Point Police Department and ODOT.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for his drug-fueled and alarming behavior in a southeast city neighborhood this week. The Police Department reports officers responded to multiple reports of suspicious activity near the corner of Gaffney Way and Grandview Avenue on Tuesday night. Police said 30-year-old Dustin Michael Fontana was reported to be engaging in alarming and tumultuous behavior. Witnesses stated that he was running on the road, chasing cars and attempting to hit them. The suspect was also seen checking the door handles on vehicles and knocking over at least one trash can. One witness reported that Fontana almost got hit by a truck and his response was to jump in front of another vehicle, hitting it with his hand and lifting his shirt as if to mimic pulling out a weapon. Officers eventually contacted Fontana in the 1700-block of Gaffney Way, detained him and found him to be in possession of a glass pipe with burnt residue that tested positive as methamphetamine. It was seized for destruction. Fontana was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and Meth Possession. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a "frequent flyer" for an incident at the downtown Post Office this week. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident at the postal facility on NW 6th Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said 32-year-old Whitney Ann Word was observed by a Post Office worker searching for what she believed to be a rock directly outside a window after the employee heard two loud smashing sounds and seeing large holes in the window. Word was found to be in possession of $48 worth of unpaid-for postal merchandise when she was contacted by officers outside the facility. She was immediately placed into custody and charged with 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief and 3rd-Degree Theft. Word was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail and her belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

 

Two suspicious fires in northern Josephine County kept emergency crews busy last night. First, an abandoned recreational vehicle was set on fire in the mountains west of Interstate 5 in Sunny Valley. That fire was quickly extinguished. Next, a large slash pile fire was reported in the mountains west of I-5 in Wolf Creek near London Peak. It was in the same general location of a highly-visible fire that occurred Sunday night. It was quickly extinguished and mopped up. Firefighters from Rural Metro Fire Department, Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District and the Oregon Department of Forestry handled the calls. Rural Metro officials said due to recent rain, the fires did not spread into nearby vegetation.

 

The Ashland Police Department is preparing for Halloween, which starts with the annual Children's Halloween Parade this afternoon. The parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. in front of the Ashland Public Library and will move west along East Main Street toward the Plaza. East Main Street between Gresham Street and Water Street will be closed from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Lithia Way will be converted to two-way traffic needs within the downtown corridor during the parade event. APD said safety of those who attend the parade is their top priority each year. All vehicles left parked within the closed area downtown will be towed beginning at 3 p.m. today. These areas have been clearly posted. Each year, the number of Halloween revelers swells in size as citizens from across the Rogue Valley celebrate in Ashland. APD will be joined by police personnel from surrounding agencies to monitor all evening activities within the downtown area. Enforcement will be strictly administered when police observe acts such as disorderly conduct, public intoxication, consuming alcohol in public, open containers of alcohol in public, illegal drug use, or any other violations of state law and municipal code. The Ashland Police Department hopes everyone will have a safe and enjoyable Halloween!