Local News

A suspended driver was apprehended outside Taco Bell for methamphetamine possession Tuesday.

Officers pulled over a red pickup around 7:04 p.m. outside the 1670 Allen Creek Road restaurant. The driver was contacted for failing to re-register his vehicle, and it was found he was driving while suspended and did not have insurance.

The driver, identified as Brandon Danyluk, was also found to have a valid warrant out for his arrest from the Police Department. He was charged with Possession of Meth, and a consent search was promptly conducted.

Police found a glass tube with a white powdery substance on Danyluk's person. The substance was field tested and came back positive for the presumptive presence of meth.

Danyluk was taken to the Josephine County Jail where he was then lodged for Meth Possession and his warrant.

 

Two women were arrested by Oregon State Police troopers following traffic stops Tuesday.

A silver Toyota Camry was stopped at the corner of Highway 238 and Stanford Way around 5 p.m. The driver, Julie Hatt, 64, of Roseburg, was contacted and taken into custody on a Parole Officer Detainer.

She was promptly lodged in the Josephine County Jail, and her vehicle was towed from the scene.

That night around 11:41, a trooper initiated a traffic stop on a white Toyota Tacoma on Highway 260 around milepost 19. Upon contact, it was found the passenger, identified as Heaven Jessen, 30, of Grants Pass, was wanted on a felony arrest warrant.

The trooper took Jessen into custody and transported her to the Adult Jail Facility. Jail logs show she was lodged on two probation violations.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department is reminding parents and juveniles of Oregon's curfew laws and local ordinances.

The purpose of these rules is to keep minors safe during overnight hours when crime may be more likely and to deter late-night disruptions. Police have highlighted the essential parts of the curfew rules and encourage persons to review Oregon Revised Statutes and the City of Grants Pass Ordinance for more details or information.

Oregon Revised Statutes 419C.680 prohibits minors from being in any public places, such as roadways and parks, between midnight and 4 a.m. There are exceptions for minors accompanied by a parent or guardian, engaged in a lawful activity which requires being in a public place, or being an emancipated minor. The statute also prohibits parents or guardians from allowing minors to violate the state law.

The City of Grants Pass has an ordinance which is broader in time limits. Ordinance 5.60.010 restricts minors from being in public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Parents and guardians need to be accountable for ensuring minors in their care and custody are safely in their custody during these times unless a lawful exception applies. Appropriate enforcement will apply in repeated incidents involving the same minor out unlawfully during curfew hours. However, in most cases, education will be the goal of any contact with minors.

 

A Walmart shoplifter was apprehended by Grants Pass Police and lodged for charges including theft and methamphetamine possession.

Dispatch was notified Tuesday by loss prevention at the 135 NE Terry lane store that a man in black clothing had taken a pair of boots and some clothing and put them in his backpack. He was then seen around 11:54 a.m. running to the nearby Arby's.

The suspect proceeded towards Fred Meyer and reportedly didn't use force when taking the merchandise, despite previous aggressive behavior with staff. Officers were able to locate the suspect, identified as Logan Diaz, in the Fred Meyer parking lot.

He was taken into custody for the theft totaling almost $127. He also admitted to the theft and to stealing additional items. The merchandise was returned to Walmart, and Diaz was lodged for Second Degree Theft and First Degree Trespass.

A search of his backpack revealed a needle and tooters, one of which field tested positive for meth. During the intake process at the jail, officers identified something Diaz was attempting to hide in his mouth as a small rinse bag.

It also tested positive for the presence of meth, so an additional charge of Meth Possession was added. According to jail logs, the charges have not been filed against Diaz by the District Attorney.

 

A report of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on a mobile device led to the arrest of a 29-year-old Medford man. A Jackson County Grand Jury returned an indictment Tuesday on all charges. The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team and Medford Police Department had arrested the suspect Thursday, July 23rd at a residence in the 800 block of Bennett Avenue. The suspect, Jonathan Daniel Marquez, 29, of Medford, is charged with two counts of First Degree Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse, and 10 counts of Second Degree Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse. He is lodged in the Jackson County Jail. SOCET began their investigation after MPD received a report of CSAM on a mobile device which led to subpoenas, followed by a search warrant at the residence. The Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force assisted in the investigation.

 

The Board of Commissioners approved intergovernmental agreements, contracts, and invoices during their County Administration Workshop. Public Work's requested Advisory Board Appointments to three local agencies: Rogue Valley Commission on Transportation, Solid Waste Agency, and the Middle Rogue Metropolitan Planning Organization. The board approved the request, and the purchase of four Operation Division Replacement trucks. Also approved was an amendment reflecting a cost increase on the Wolf Creek Bridge project set for 2027. Public Works will pick up about $284,000 of the cost. The board moved 3-0 for Transit's Designation of Signature Authority for the Finance Director. A Department of Human Services Intergovernmental Agreement providing rides to eligible individuals, with the marginal cost charged to the Federal Government was also approved. Following an Airport Update, an FAA Grant Agreement for $2,759,417 covering the bridge loan motion was unanimous. The grant will fund an approved Knife River Materials project contract.

 

A man sleeping near the Josephine County Historical Society was arrested early this morning by Grants Pass Police.

The suspect, Jeffrey Gunn, was located sleeping in an alcove by the 512 SW 5th Street location. Law enforcement knew he had been previously trespassed from the property, so Gunn was taken into custody without incident.

A consent search of his person was conducted, and officers located a pen tube with a white residue in his jacket pocket. The residue field tested positive for the presumptive presence of methamphetamine.

Gunn was charged with Second Degree Criminal Trespass and Possession of Meth. According to the police report, he was transported to and lodged in the Josephine County Jail.

 

As the American Red Cross experiences a nationwide blood crisis, and responds to dozens of wildfires in the state, they invite the community to the opening of their new location to help serve southwest Oregon.

According to the organization, the public will be able to learn how the Red Cross opens and supports disaster shelters, installs free smoke alarms as part of their Home Fire Campaign, builds partnerships through their Community Adaptation Program, collects blood for local hospitals, and provides free training to volunteers.

The Red Cross Medford chapter office grand opening will take place Wednesday, July 29th, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1550 Biddle Road. There will be guest speakers, photo opportunities, refreshments, and a free raffle.

 

Ashland Police officers responded to a parking area behind a local business for a report of a strong-armed robbery that occurred Monday.

Witnesses reported that a man pulled a female victim from a car and stole her purse in the 2300 block of Ashland Street around 6:55 p.m. The man reportedly fled the scene through an open field toward Interstate 5.

Officers, assisted by the Talent Police Department, arrived on scene and began looking for the suspect. He was quickly located walking northbound on I-5 near mile marker 15.5.

Officer retraced the path of the fleeing suspect, finding some of the stolen property. Further investigation indicated that the suspect likely intended to steal the victim’s car as well. The victim did not report being injured.

Officers were able to obtain video evidence in support of the charges, and the suspect was identified as Michael Scott Todnem, 39, of Grants Pass. He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of Robbery in the Third Degree, Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle, Fourth Degree Assault, Harassment, Third Degree Theft, and Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree.

Any additional witnesses are asked to call the Ashland Police Department at 541-482-5211.