KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

Deputies Recovered Stolen Vehicles and Evicted Squatters on Pinecrest Drive

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office recovered three stolen vehicles while evicting two squatters from a property near Grants Pass late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a trespassing complaint in the 500-block of Pinecrest Drive on Wednesday at 4:05 p.m.. Deputies said they spoke to the property owner who advised that he had multiple people living on his land that he did not know, and the property was for sale. A woman in a large fifth-wheel trailer told deputies she was invited to live on the property and help clean it up by a 66-year-old man she identified as "Donald Gregg." Gregg arrived on scene, explained he had been interested in buying the property with a VA loan and that he needed to clean it up so the loan would go through. He had the woman and some friends move in with him so they could help. However, the man did not have a realtor and had not yet applied for any loan. During the investigation, deputies located three stolen vehicles -- including a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a Polaris ATV -- on the property. They were towed away and the registered owners were contacted. Gregg was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Possession of Stolen Vehicles, 1st-Degree Theft, Criminal Mischief and Criminal Trespass as well as Probation Violation. The woman was cited to appear in court for Criminal Trespass. All the squatters were trespassed and had until noon today to remove their belongings.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:25AM by Sam Marsh

GPPD Officers Corralled Local Corrections Client on Statewide Felony Warrant

Grants Pass Police corralled a Josephine County Community Corrections client on a statewide felony warrant this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 32-year-old female subject at the Corrections Office on NW 4th Street on Tuesday afternoon. Police said they were alerted by staff that the woman was at the office to check in with her corrections officer. They said she was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation stemming from convictions for Felony Attempt to Elude Police and Driving While Suspended. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:24AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Jailed Man for Stealing Food from Store and Fighting with Witnesses

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for stealing food from the south Dollar Tree and then fighting with two female witnesses who tried to stop him. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident at the store on NE Agness Avenue on Tuesday afternoon. Police said the 39-year-old male subject ate food inside the Dollar Tree and stole a small amount of merchandise from the store by passing all points of sale without paying. They said the man was confronted by two female witnesses of the crime outside the store and he fought with the women before fleeing the scene on foot. The suspect ran across the Grants Pass Parkway and was located by police a short time later hiding in a field behind WinCo Foods. He was placed into custody and the stolen items were recovered. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct and 3rd-Degree Theft. Due to the violent nature of the crime, he was being held with no scheduled bail. His disabled minivan was towed away.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:22AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Arrested Man for Playing Dangerous Game on US Highway 199 in GP

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for playing a dangerous game on Redwood Highway in southwest Grants Pass yesterday. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies were alerted to a male subject who kept crossing back and forth while dodging traffic on US Highway 199 near Dowell Road on Wednesday around 3:30 p.m.. Arriving deputies witnessed the incident and contacted the man who stated he crossed the highway only so he could cross the highway again to get back to the other side. One deputy commented that it was almost as if the man was playing the video game "Frogger" with real vehicles. Fortunately, no one got hurt. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:21AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared 3 Campers on Outstanding Warrants in City Park Patrols

Grants Pass Police arrested three campers on outstanding warrants during city park patrol checks on Wednesday. The Police Department reports officers contacted a 32-year-old man at Westholm Park and discovered that he was wanted on a Jackson County warrant for failing to appear in court for impaired driving. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail and has since been transferred to the Jackson County Jail in Medford. Police contacted a 38-year-old man at Kesterson Park and learned that he was wanted on a Douglas County warrant for failing to appear in court for Vehicle Theft. He was cited to appear in court and then handed over to Options for drug treatment assistance. Officers contacted a 37-year-old man at Riverside Park and discovered that he was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failure to appear in court for Larceny. He was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was lodged in jail in lieu of posting $20,000 bail.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:19AM by Sam Marsh

Grants Pass Police Excluded 3 Campers for Repeat Violations in City Parks

Grants Pass Police evicted three city park campers for repeat ordinance violations early Wednesday. At Baker Park, one man was cited for Improper Utilization of Space and Scattering Rubbish, while another man was cited for Scattering Rubbish. Both were issued 30-day exclusions. A total of 12 camps were posted with 72-hour notices and an e-mail was sent to the United Community Action Network. At Kesterson Park, a man was cited for drug possession and trespassed for 30 days. A total of six camps were posted with 72-hour notices and an e-mail was sent to UCAN.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:17AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Cited Man on Bench Warrant after Contact at Oregon DHS Office in GP

The Oregon State Police arrested a man on an outstanding warrant after contacting him at a state office in northwest Grants Pass yesterday. OSP reports officers contacted the 45-year-old male subject in the parking lot of the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) on NW Hawthorne Avenue on Wednesday at 2:41 p.m.. Troopers said they spotted the man and knew that he was wanted on a local bench warrant for failing to appear in court. The underlying charge was not disclosed. According to OSP, the suspect was cooperative and admitted his identity so he was cited to appear in court and then released.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:16AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Cited Both Drivers after Collision on 6th Street at Hillcrest Drive

Grants Pass Police cited both drivers after a collision between two vehicles in the north part of the city last night. According to the Police Department, officers and emergency personnel responded to the crash in the 1600-block of NW 6th Street on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.. Police said an investigation determined a man was driving a 2024 Subaru Outback south on 6th Street when he ran a red light at Hillcrest Drive and slammed into an eastbound 2007 Hyundai sedan driven by another male motorist. A female passenger in the Subaru was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center for chest pain caused by her seatbelt. A female passenger in the Hyundai complained of shoulder and leg pain, but declined medical attention. Following the investigation, the driver of the Subaru was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device and the driver of the Hyundai was cited for No Insurance.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:14AM by Sam Marsh

Portland Area Trucker Fell Asleep at Wheel and Crashed on Mount Sexton

A Portland area truck driver escaped serious injury when he crashed a commercial vehicle on Interstate 5 on Mount Sexton early yesterday. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle accident in the southbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 70 shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday. Troopers said an investigation revealed the 55-year-old Clackamas man was driving a Peterbilt semi-truck and trailer when he fell asleep at the wheel and veered off the freeway, crashing into a speed sign. According to OSP, the trucker was not hurt, the semi sustained only minor damage and it did not need to be towed. The Oregon Department of Transportation responded to assist state troopers. It appears no citations were issued.

Posted on 5/9/24 11:12AM by Sam Marsh

Medford Police Department Jailed Suspect in Monday Night Shooting Incident

The Medford Police Department has jailed a suspect in a shooting incident that occurred earlier this week. MPD officers arrested 20-year-old Elijia Zeigler on Tuesday following a shooting that occurred in Medford on Monday night. MPD Deputy Chief Trevor Arnold said the incident stemmed from a dispute between the victim and Zeigler that originated at a party in Ashland over the weekend. During the altercation, Zeigler allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the victim. Arnold said the victim was driving in the 1900-block of Gene Cameron Way on Monday when Zeigler fired two shots at the victim's vehicle as it drove by. Both rounds impacted the vehicle, but no injuries were sustained from the shooting. Shell casings fired from a handgun were recovered by patrol officers and an MPD detective was called to the scene to investigate. Zeigler was interviewed and then subsequently arrested. He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of Attempted Murder, 1st-Degree Attempted Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Menacing and Reckless Endangering. Anyone with further information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the MPD Criminal Investigation Division at (541)-774-2208.

Posted on 5/9/24 6:38AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed GP Man for Roughing Up His Mother at Redwood Area Home

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Grants Pass man for roughing up his mother at a Redwood area residence this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies responded to a domestic disturbance in the 2300-block of Dowell Road on Tuesday afternoon. Deputies said an elderly woman called 9-1-1 to report that her 64-year-old son had become physically aggressive with her while pushing her up against a wall in the home. The caller said she was not seriously hurt and declined medical attention. Upon arrival, deputies located the man in his bedroom where his ex-wife was trying to calm him down. Why the man became aggressive with this mother was not disclosed, but he was immediately placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment and Menacing, both Constituting Domestic Violence. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 5/9/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Collared Two on Outstanding Warrants after Disturbance at Motel 6

Grants Pass Police jailed two people on outstanding warrants this week after a disturbance at a north-city motel. The Police Department reports officers responded to reports of a man and woman chasing each other in the parking lot of Motel 6 on NE 7th Street around midday Tuesday. There were no injuries reported in the skirmish. Police said they contacted a 36-year-old man regarding the incident involving his 34-year-old girlfriend at the motel. It was discovered that he was wanted on three outstanding warrants from Jackson, Marion and Polk counties that included alleged crimes of Forgery, Identity Theft and Contempt of Court. He was lodged in jail on the warrants plus a new charge of Methamphetamine Possession. Officers contacted the female half of the disturbance and discovered that she was wanted on a Columbia County warrant for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and a St. Helens Police Department warrant for Criminal Trespass. She was also lodged in jail. Property in the couples' room was placed in the male suspect's vehicle and both parties were trespassed from Motel 6.

Posted on 5/9/24 6:29AM by Sam Marsh

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