Local News

Two men were jailed over the weekend for the shooting deaths of two other men at a residence near Cave Junction plus there was another shooting in Cave Junction. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies and the Oregon State Police responded to the shooting incident in the 1700-block of White Schoolhouse Road on Saturday at 3:44 p.m.. Undersheriff Travis Snyder said deputies and troopers located two deceased males with apparent gunshot wounds. Due to the nature of the incident and the lack of investigative resources, the Sheriff's Office requested OSP investigate the incident. Josephine County Jail records show two men were arrested in connection with the incident. OSP lodged 47-year-old Javier Martinez-Avalos and 40-year-old Sergio Calderon-Martinez for the slayings. Both are being held on two counts each of Aggravated Murder and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. The victims were not identified and the investigation is continuing. Meanwhile, deputies and troopers responded to another shooting in the 100-block of South Kerby Road in Cave Junction on Sunday at 12:44 p.m.. When deputies arrived on scene, they located a male subject with gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was transported to a hospital and is in stable condition. This case remains under investigation and further details are unavailable at this time. Snyder said at this time, there is nothing connecting this incident to the incident on White Schoolhouse Road. If anyone has information regarding this incident, please contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

 

A Grants Pass woman was injured when she crashed her vehicle on Interstate 5 on Mount Sexton during a weekend rainstorm. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle wreck in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 68 at about 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Troopers said 72-year-old Susan Faye Johnson was driving a Toyota 4-Runner when she lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve and crashed into the center divider. They said the wreck occurred just as heavy rain had moved into the area. According to OSP, Johnson was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. Her wrecked vehicle was hauled into Grants Pass by Oregon Towing. OSP was assisted at the scene by Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

A Grants Pass man was cited for causing a weekend motor vehicle accident on Riverbanks Road late yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle collision near milepost 16 of State Route 260 at 4:32 p.m. Sunday. Troopers said 35-year-old Nicholaus Peter Faulkner was driving a Chevrolet Silverado when he pulled out in the roadway directly in front of a Pontiac G6 driven by a 15-year old driver from Grants Pass. The G6 ran into the side of the Silverado, which sustained minor damage and was able to be driven away. According to OSP, the teenage driver of the G6 complained of knee pain and was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center as a precautionary measure. Faulkner and the teen's adult male passenger were not hurt. The G6 was heavily damaged and towed by Caveman Towing. Following an investigation, Faulkner was issued a citation for Failure to Yield to Oncoming Traffic.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant after responding to a weekend complaint at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a disorderly conduct call involving 57-year-old Robert Vincent Jones near the Fairgrounds late Friday afternoon. Police said Jones was reported to be standing in the median west of the entrance to the facility throwing rocks, trash and other items at passing vehicles. There were no reports of damage or injuries, but Jones complained of chest pain upon contact. A routine records check showed that Jones was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was placed into custody without further incident. Robert Jones was lodged in jail on the warrant.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for violating terms of her probation by using drugs after she was found passed out behind the wheel of an idling vehicle on the east side of the city near Walmart. The Police Department reports officers were on patrol when they contacted 44-year-old Carrie Leann Parren in the 100-block of NE Terry Lane on Saturday at about 2:30 a.m.. Police said they spotted an idling Acura sedan with Parren passed out behind the wheel. They said a methamphetamine pipe was observed in the center console, although the suspect said she had not used anything recreationally that night. Officers contacted Parren's corrections officer who requested she be placed on a detainer. Carrie Parren was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Probation Violation because she had failed to report to her corrections officer. She was also cited to appear in court for the narcotics violation.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for a traffic violation at the Reaching Our Community (ROC) food pantry over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a disturbance at the ROC -- which is located in the 500-block of SW Foundry Street -- on Saturday around 10:50 a.m.. Police said 61-year-old Gregory Scott Hicks was the subject of a traffic call after he arrived at the food pantry and became aggressive with staff members. Upon arrival, officers observed him in the driver's seat of a running Nissan sedan. His license was suspended and he told officers another person drove the vehicle. According to the report, there was an open bottle and several miniature bottles of alcohol in the vehicle -- but Hicks did not display any signs of impairment. Gregory Hicks was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving While Suspended. The case was forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for prosecution.

 

Grants Pass Police cited several campers and evicted most of them during city park patrol checks early Sunday. During a patrol check at Baker Park, several people were observed camping after they had been posted with a removal date of Saturday. Timothy Teige, Andrew Peek, John Francis, Ashley Strempel, Vincent Manning, John Hanson and Marilyn Humphrey were all cited for Illegal Camping and trespassed from the park for 30 days. Peek, Strempel and Humphrey were also cited for Improper Utilization of Park Space while Manning and Teige were also cited for Scattering Rubbish. During a patrol check at Riverside Park, William Stroh, Glenn Miller, Noah Reyelets and David Wilson were cited for Illegal Camping after being posted. Reyelets and Stroh were additionally cited for Scattering Rubbish and given park exclusions. During a patrol check at Tussing Park, Marissa Winters was observed with a plastic tooter containing fentanyl residue. She was cited for drug possession and trespassed from the park for 30 days. During a patrol check at Westholm Park, Cory Russell was cited for Scattering Rubbish.

 

Congratulations to Sara Converse, the winner of the Ultimate Oregon Tailgate drawing held Saturday at Diamond Home Improvement in Grants Pass. Sara took home the grand prize package that include two tickets to the Civil War football game on Friday in Eugene, a Traeger 810 Silverton Pellet Grill, a $100 VISA gift card and $100 to spend at Cartwright's Market. Diamond also gave away seven other gift cards during the annual event.

 

A Wolf Creek man and his two sons are in custody for allegedly beating up a squatter they found inside a vacant home he owns in northern Josephine County. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 61-year-old Paul Anthony Leighton, 35-year-old Anthony Edward Leighton and 32-year-old Joshua Allen Leighton on Saturday for the incident in the 100-block of McIntosh Lane. Deputies said Leighton and his sons went to the house because they heard a transient squatter was living there. They removed the squatter by force, causing physical injury. The victim was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass for treatment of facial injuries. According to the report, the victim was punched, grabbed and wrestled to the ground by the sons, but the father did not become physical. However, the father admitted to hearing about the squatter and calling on his sons to go with him. Paul Leighton was charged with 4th-Degree Assault while Anthony Leighton and Joshua Leighton were charged with Felony 3rd-Degree Assault. All three men were lodged at the Josephine County Jail and they were being held without bail.