KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

GP Man Jailed on Felony Warrant after Grand Jury Indictment for Domestic Case

A Grants Pass man was jailed on a local felony warrant last night after a grand jury indicted him on three felony-level charges related to a domestic violence case. The Grants Pass Police Department reports officers arrested 29-year-old Brandon William Sousa Measel at a home in the 1600-block of NE A Street on Wednesday at 10:09 p.m.. Police said Measel was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant containing a secret indictment for alleged crimes including 2nd-Degree Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Domestic Strangulation. They said he was observed going inside the house and permission was given for them to enter and place him into custody. Brandon Measel was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant and he was being held in lieu of posting $250,000 bail.

Posted on 1/18/24 11:30AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed Man on Warrants after He Crashed Stolen Car near Sunny Valley

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man on three outstanding warrants and he may be facing additional charges after a hit-and-run accident in the Sunny Valley area yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 34-year-old Michael David Brenden in the 8300-block of Lower Grave Creek Road on Wednesday at 3:24 p.m.. Deputies said Brenden was driving a Honda sedan with no license plates when he crashed through a gate and got stuck on the side of Grave Creek. They said he took off running into the woods, but the property owner detained him at gunpoint and restrained him with private handcuffs until law enforcement arrived on scene. An investigation determined that Brenden was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Felony Criminal Mischief and 1st-Degree Theft; a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for impaired driving; and an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation related to a previous traffic offense. Brenden complained of back pain, so he was checked out by American Medical Response and cleared for lodging at the Josephine County Jail. He was booked on the warrants and was being held without bail. The Honda he wrecked had been reported stolen out of Washington State and additional charges are pending.

Posted on 1/18/24 11:28AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man for Charges Related to Car Theft after Redwood Stop

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for charges related to vehicle theft yesterday after a Redwood area traffic stop. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Subaru Impreza driven by 28-year-old Michael Dean Smith on Redwood Avenue near Allen Creek Road on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m.. Police said they stopped Smith because he was driving a stolen car with a license plate belonging to a Subaru Crosstrek. Further investigation was needed to learn the identity of the original vehicle theft suspect, but Smith was placed into custody. Michael Smith was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. He was being held without bail. The stolen Impreza was recovered and returned to its registered owner. The stolen license plate was seized and the investigation was continuing.

Posted on 1/18/24 11:27AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Woman for Five Crimes after Violent Theft Try at Safeway

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for multiple crimes yesterday after she tried to steal from a downtown supermarket and hit an employee who stopped her. The Police Department reports officers responded to the shoplifting incident at the Safeway on SE 7th Street at about 11:35 a.m. Wednesday. Police said 54-year-old Amanda Marie Ahulau entered Safeway, put $280 worth of groceries in a cart and tried to push the cart out of the store without paying. Ahulau was stopped by an employee and she struck the worker several times in the back while demanding return of the stolen items. She eventually left the store and temporarily entered the passenger side of a customer's vehicle before exiting. Amanda Ahulau had been previously trespassed from Safeway. She was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Robbery, 2nd-Degree Theft, Harassment, Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and Criminal Trespass. She was still in custody this morning.

Posted on 1/18/24 11:24AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed 3 People for Stealing from Walmart in Separate Incidents

Grants Pass Police arrested three people in two separate shoplifting incidents at Walmart before noon yesterday. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Wednesday at 7:45 a.m. when officers arrested 38-year-old Elizabeth Ellen Fox at the store on NE Terry Lane. Police said Fox proceeded past all points of sale with about $78 worth of female clothing items. They said she admitted to not scanning all the items in her cart prior to leaving the store. She was charged with 3rd-Degree Theft and lodged in jail. A charge of 2nd-Degree Theft was referred to the District Attorney's Office for a prior theft this week when she was observed using the same method. The second incident happened on Wednesday at 11:04 a.m. when officers arrested 43-year-old Jerimiah Scott Ballard and 31-year-old Shanae Alysse Cleveland for stealing from Walmart. Police said Ballard and Cleveland past all points of sale with nearly $370 worth of stolen items. They were detained by loss prevention and held until officers arrived on scene to place them into custody. Both were jailed for 2nd-Degree Theft.

Posted on 1/18/24 11:23AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Motorist for Impaired Driving after Hit & Run Complaint

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving yesterday following a complaint about a hit-and-run collision in the south part of the city. According to the Police Department, a motorist who claimed to have been struck by a Chevrolet Tahoe near the intersection of Williams Highway and Harbeck Road came to the agency lobby to file the complaint on Wednesday shortly before 1 p.m.. Police said the victim told them the suspect struck his Ford Explorer near the South Middle School football field and fled the scene. Fellow motorists had witnessed the crash and followed the suspect to the 400-block of West Harbeck Road. Officers responded and found Matthew Piggott out of his vehicle, on the ground and displaying extreme indicators of impairment. Field sobriety tests were not possible, so a search warrant was obtained and Piggot was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented strong inebriation. Piggott was cited to appear in court for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and released to the care of hospital staff. A charge of Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage was referred to the District Attorney's Office.

Posted on 1/18/24 11:20AM by Sam Marsh

Local Deputies Assisted US Marshals Service with Capture of California Felon

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office assisted the United States Marshals Service with capturing a California fugitive in the Grants Pass area yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies and marshals arrested 28-year-old Chance Nicholas Lopez in Grants Pass on Wednesday. On January 12th, the Sheriff's Office was contacted by a law enforcement agency in California regarding the wanted subject who was believed to be living in the Wolf Creek area. Deputies and US Marshals conducted research and surveillance to learn about Lopez's regular routine. Based on the information that Lopez could be armed, Detective Sergeant Heinrich said an operational plan was created to take him into custody. Chance Lopez was placed into custody without incident in an industrial area on the outskirts of Grants Pass. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on California warrants for Armed Robbery, Attempted Carjacking and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. He was being held without bail pending extradition back to California.

Posted on 1/18/24 6:41AM by Sam Marsh

Grants Pass Police Collared State Fugitive during Redwood Highway Patrol

Grants Pass Police captured a fugitive wanted on a statewide felony warrant during a patrol check on Redwood Highway early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 38-year-old Ciera Michelle Lokken in the 200-block of US Highway 199 at 4:11 a.m. Wednesday. Police said they spotted Lokken sleeping the backseat of a parked vehicle at that location and they knew she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Patrol Violation stemming from a previous conviction for a weapons offense. Ciera Lokken was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 1/18/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh

Police Jailed Man for Probation Violation after Traffic Stop near Shopping Mall

Police arrested a man for violating terms of his probation this week after a traffic stop near the Grants Pass Shopping Center. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Volkswagen Jetta driven by 24-year-old Travis James Head near the corner of NE D Street and Beacon Drive late Tuesday night. Police said they stopped Head due to his poor driving skills while using a clutch in vehicle. They said it was apparent he had little experience operating a vehicle with manual transmission. Officers contacted Head's corrections officer who opted to detain his client. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Probation Violation and was being held on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show he has been arrested four times since May 8th.

Posted on 1/18/24 6:29AM by Sam Marsh

NW GP Businesses Evacuated after Hazardous Materials Left at Disposal Yard

Grants Pass Police evacuated some businesses in the northwest part of the city this week after hazardous materials were discarded at a waste disposal yard. The Police Department reports officers and firefighters responded to the haz-mat incident at Republic Services in the 1900-block of NW Washington Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon. Police officers and firefighters from the Hillcrest Station arrived on scene, started evacuating nearby businesses and assessing the situation. Once it was determined to be an extremely flammable substance, the Medford Fire Department Hazmat Team was called in to assist with identification of the substance and next steps. The situation was resolved within two hours and all emergency units cleared the scene. Authorities advise residents to always seek appropriate disposal methods for any hazardous materials.

Posted on 1/18/24 6:19AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Homeless Man for Turning City Property into Garbage Heap

Grants Pass Police arrested a homeless man early yesterday for turning a city-owned property into a giant trash heap. The Police Department reports officers responded to an ordinance violation at an illegal campsite near the corner of NE Agness Avenue and SE Gladiola Drive on Wednesday around 4:30 a.m.. Police said they contacted 45-year-old Daniel Beier at his encampment. They said the man had accumulated an immense amount of refuse including bicycle parts, discarded clothing and hazardous waste which he had thrown onto the ground, into the trees and into a nearby waterway. An extensive site cleanup will be required. Beier refused to speak to officers and he was placed into custody. He was taken to the nearby Josephine County Jail where he was booked for Offensive Littering and 3rd-Degree Criminal Mischief. More charges are pending further investigation. He was also trespassed from all city and railroad properties.

Posted on 1/18/24 6:17AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Investigating Hit & Run Crash that Damaged Fence along Riverbanks Road

The Oregon State Police was investigating a hit-and-run crash that damaged a fence on Riverbanks Road last weekend. OSP reports troopers responded to the crash in the 3500-block of State Route 260 on Sunday morning. Troopers said the property owner stated a small pickup truck crashed through their fence and fled the scene. The reporting party -- a 51-year-old Grants Pass woman -- was unable to provide any further details about the suspect vehicle. Photographs were taken of the damaged fence and the reporting party was given a crash report. Anyone with information on the identity of the suspect is encouraged to dial *OSP.

Posted on 1/18/24 6:16AM by Sam Marsh

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