Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man who was unable to control his boorish behavior against a pet dog and humans in the northwest part of the city yesterday. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the incident at AllCare Medical Group on NW Midland Avenue on Monday around 2:25 p.m.. Police said an employee called 9-1-1 to report that 38-year-old Matthew Richard Williams was screaming at and abusing his dog outside the medical facility. The caller said he was hitting the dog and grabbing it by its collar while insulting those who tried to intervene. His behavior was described as "violent and threatening." Responding officers contacted Williams and placed him into custody. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and was being held without bail. His belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping. The dog -- a female pit bull named "Angel" -- was picked by Animal Control and transported to the Animal Shelter.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant after he tried to steal more than $100 worth of items from Walmart. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a shoplifting call involving 36-year-old Ehric Pedersen at the store on NE Terry Lane on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.. Police said Pedersen stole approximately $106 worth of Walmart merchandise by bypassing all points of sale without attempting to pay for the items. He was detained by loss prevention until officers arrived and discovered that he was wanted on a Medford warrant for failing to appear in court for Criminal Trespass. Ehric Pederson was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a charge of 2nd-Degree Theft which will be prosecuted by the District Attorney.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for returning to a supermarket and stealing some items after he had already been trespassed from the store five different times. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a trespassing complaint involving 20-year-old Jackson David Sutton at WinCo Foods on NE Terry Lane on Sunday around 4:45 p.m.. Police said Sutton returned to WinCo with the intent to commit theft. They said he intentionally passed all points of sale with around $4 worth of store goods without paying. He was detained by loss prevention and placed into custody by officers. Jackson Sutton was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 1st-Degree Criminal Trespass and 3rd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass motorist for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop in the southeast part of the city. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Mazda Tribute driven by 34-year-old Collin Patrick Quinlan near the corner of SE M and 11th streets on Saturday around 12:40 a.m.. Troopers said they stopped Quinlan for multiple traffic violations and he displayed multiple signs of impairment. They said he performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where he provided a breath sample that was more than twice the legal driving limit. Collin Quinlan was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. He was cited to appear in court and released. His vehicle was parked and secured.

 

A Grants Pass motorist was arrested on a local warrant and cited for multiple violations after he crashed his vehicle into the front of a store on Rogue River Highway on Monday. Grants Pass police officers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle crash at Market & Deli in the 1,000-block of Highway 99 at 3:10 p.m. yesterday. Police said an investigation determined that 58-year-old Christian James Sargeant was driving a Nissan minivan when his foot slipped under the brake and he coasted into the open front of the market, cracking the glass panes on both doors. Upon contact with officers, Sargeant stated he knew he did not have a license or any insurance because he purchased the vehicle the night before. He was also found to be wanted on a Jackson County misdemeanor warrant for two counts of Failure to Register as a Convicted Sex Offender. Christian Sargeant was cited to appear in court on the warrant as well as the traffic violations. As officers left the scene, he was making payment arrangements with the store manager.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a female transient on a local warrant yesterday after finding her camped out at a south-city car wash. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to a trespassing call involving 46-year-old Crystal Mae Lucas at the South Y intersection on Monday around 11:30 a.m.. Police said the property owner called 9-1-1 to report a female subject who had pitched a tent in one of the stalls of the car wash, preventing it from being used by customers. When the caller advised her to leave, she began yelling at them. Officers arrived on scene and contacted Lucas, finding her to be wanted on a Josephine County warrant for Probation Violation related to a previous arrest for Flight to Avoid Prosecution. She was lodged in jail with her bail set at $40,000.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted a total of eight campers from three city parks early Monday. It all started at Morrison Centennial Park, where Bailey Beck was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Scattering Rubbish. Connie Scott was cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Illegal Camping. Shaun Gee and John Hanson were cited for Buffer Zone Violation and Misuse of Park Open Space. All were trespassed for 30 days. At Fruitdale Park, Charles Williams was cited for Misuse of Park Open Space and Scattering Rubbish while Kacie Huntley was cited for Illegal Camping and Misuse of Park Open Space. Both were issued 30-day exclusions from the park. At Kesterson Park, Wade Johnson and Rosalee Word-Johnson were cited for Illegal Camping after they failed to remove their previously posted campsites. Both were trespassed from the park for 30 days. A wheelchair found at the park was returned to Three Rivers Medical Center.

 

One person was injured and another was arrested after a weekend crash in the New Hope area just west of Murphy. On Saturday evening, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle rollover crash in the 8100-block of New Hope Road. Deputies said an investigation determined that 47-year-old Justin Ryan Gerlitz was driving a BMW sedan when he lost control of the car on a sharp corner about a half-mile west of Lincoln Savage Middle School. They said the car took out a mailbox before landing upside-down in a ditch. Gerlitz and a passenger identified as "Steven Velasquez" were able to extricate themselves from the wreckage and denied any injuries. The third occupant of the overturned car -- identified as "Michele Gerlitz" -- was removed from the vehicle and transported to Three Rivers Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. According to the report, Justin Gerlitz displayed signs of impairment at the scene and performed poorly in field sobriety tests. He was lodged in jail for Felony Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. The wrecked BMW was hauled to the impound yard.

 

The Oregon State Police apprehended a Washington state fugitive during a weekend traffic stop in Cave Junction. OSP reports troopers pulled over an Isuzu Trooper driven by 54-year-old Chad Roy Dishmon of Grants Pass on Caves Highway near Laurel Road at 7:21 p.m. Friday. Troopers said they stopped Dishmon for multiple traffic violations and discovered that he had switched plates on the vehicle, his driving privileges were suspended, he had no insurance and he had methamphetamine in his pockets. He was cited to appear in court and released, and the Isuzu was impounded. Dishmon's passenger -- 57-year-old Terril James Wallace of Sedro-Woolley, Washington -- provided false information multiple times, had meth in his pockets and was found to be wanted on a Washington state felony warrant for Escape. Wallace was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held without bail pending extradition to Washington.