Local News

Grants Pass Police responded early this morning to reported juveniles unattended in a vehicle, leading to the arrest of a woman wanted on two warrants.

A call to dispatch around 2:22 a.m. reported there were children in the backseat of a gold Chevy Blazer outside the front sliding doors of WinCo. The caller said a female subject in the vehicle was possibly under the influence and was slurring her speech.

She was nodding off and on, and no paraphernalia was seen inside the vehicle. Officers arrived and contacted Alexandria Millwood in the Blazer, knowing she wasn't a juvenile, but wanted on two warrants.

One was out of the Grants Pass Police Department for a Dangerous Drugs Charge. The other charged her with Fraud out of the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office in Yreka.

Officers confirmed Millwood's identity and warrants, and took her into custody. She was transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging

 

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man on an out-of-county theft warrant and weapon charges following a traffic stop.

Deputies pulled over a Honda CRV at the corner of Cashmere Drive and Kellenbeck Avenue Thursday at 9:52 a.m. The driver was stopped for making an illegal U-Turn and having an unreadable month sticker on his license plate.

He was identified as James Branson, and deputies found he was wanted out of the Eagle Point Police Department. Branson had a warrant out for his arrest charging him with Misdemeanor Theft in the Second Degree. He was also charged with two counts of Felon in Possession of a Weapon.

Despite Branson's threats, he was successfully transported to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility. Jail records show he was only lodged on one Weapon Possession charge and his warrant.

 

Medford Police are publicly identifying the suspect in yesterday's bank robbery that occurred around 2 p.m. at the Key Bank on E Barnett Road.

Detectives have probable cause to arrest 44-year-old Anthony James Blank for the robbery. A search warrant has been executed at the suspect's residence. He was not home at the time of the warrant service.

Officers are asking for the public’s help in locating Blank. He is described as a white male with a medium build and light-colored hair. He was last seen wearing a white button-down shirt, surgical mask and a baseball hat with a Taco Bell logo.

He may be riding an electric scooter. If you see him or know where he is, please contact Dispatch at 541-770-4784.

 

Grants Pass Police continue searching for a domestic disturbance suspect. Dispatch was notified around 7:22 a.m. of a domestic disturbance in the 1400 block of NE Meier Drive. Police discovered the suspect had fled out the back door. After the investigation, officers established probable cause to arrest Anthony Teal, 36, for Strangulation and Menacing. The search continued for Teal in the area. He was then reported stealing a car at the corner of NE D Street and Beacon Drive. Teal had pulled the male driver out of his car, who attempted to keep control. With the victim driver hanging on, Teal hurriedly accelerated onto NE D. He then struck another motorist who had stopped after seeing the car theft. Teal sped backwards, with the victim driver still being dragged from the car, but who was soon able to free himself. Teal then fled that scene, and American Medical Response aided the victim driver. A Josephine County Sheriff’s deputy located Teal near the railroad bridge on the Grants Pass Parkway. A traffic stop was attempted, but Teal eluded. The pursuit was terminated, and law enforcement lost sight of Teal because it was too dangerous to follow him closely.

 

A traffic stop outside a 7-Eleven resulted in the arrest of a man wanted for five separate warrants out of Grants Pass and Medford.

An officer with Grants Pass Police pulled over a maroon Buick SUV Wednesday around 10:10 p.m. at 790 SW 6th Street. Upon contact with the driver, the officer observed indicators of impairment. The driver provided a false name, but was later determined to be Matthew Moats.

Drug paraphernalia was observed in plain view inside the vehicle. With Moat's consent, he handed the officer the paraphernalia. Probable cause was gained for both Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Possession.

Moats was found to also be wanted on five warrants. One was out of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for Third Degree Theft. The other four were from the Grants Pass Police Department for DUII, two counts of Meth Possession, and Fentanyl Possession.

Police took Moats into custody at the scene for his warrants. A further search of his vehicle produced more items of evidence. Moats was lodged in jail, and he was further cited today for Misdemeanor Driving While Suspended, and Possession of both Meth and Fentanyl. His vehicle was impounded.

 

A resistant man was arrested by Grants Pass Police after an incident at Safeway Wednesday night.

Dispatch was notified around 8:47 p.m. that the suspect was punching one of the building's windows, slammed shopping carts into the building, and was running through the parking lot. He had reportedly been trespassed from the location back in January.

The suspect also reportedly attempted to punch someone in the face and was yelling at individuals outside the grocer. Officers arrived and contacted Gabriel Feliciano and took him into custody. He resisted, however, and was escorted to the ground by law enforcement.

While on his stomach, Feliciano attempted to stand up, pull away from officers, and began spitting. While the officer attempted to apply a spit hood, Feliciano tried to bite the officer's hand. He was promptly placed in a WRAP restraint.

Officers contacted Feliciano's parole officer, and a detainer was requested. Feliciano was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged for Second Degree Criminal Mischief, Second Degree Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest, Attempted Assault on a Police Officer, and the detainer.

 

A woman was arrested for Grants Pass Police Department warrants Wednesday evening.

A call to 911 reported individuals in Tussing Park with carts full of personal property around 7:27 p.m. One subject had a trombone with them, and the caller requested law enforcement remove them from the 800 W Park Street property.

The caller then advised dispatch that two of the suspects left the scene and were on West Park Street. Officers located the suspects after conducting a traffic stop. The passenger, Laurie Momney, was identified and found to be wanted on two warrants.

The warrants charged her with the Delivery and Possession of Methamphetamine, and Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree. She was promptly taken into custody and lodged in jail. Drug and Weapon charges will be referred to the District Attorney's Office.

 

The City of Rogue River has announced the third annual National Night Out event held at Rooster Park, 200 Pine Street, set for Tuesday, August 4th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Pizza, ice cream, and water will be provided. There will be a variety of community groups helping support and celebrate law enforcement, live music, and various Law Enforcement and First Responder demonstrations.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. The event enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement by bringing them together under positive circumstances.

Millions take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August. The City of Rogue River invites all citizens to bring their lawn chairs and be a part of the event.

 

After a two-day trial, Romualdo Angulo Balero, 35, was convicted by a jury of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

According to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office, at sentencing, it was recommended to Presiding Judge David Hoppe that Balero be sentenced to the maximum allowable sentence of 158 months in prison, the first 90 months of which to be served day-for-day pursuant to Measure 11, with 3 years of post-prison supervision upon release.

Judge Hoppe followed the recommendation, sentencing Balero to that maximum sentence. The conviction stems from a May 5th, 2024 shooting near the Falcon Street entrance to the Colonial Mobile Estates in White City.

Just after 11 p.m., the victim, who had been riding his bicycle home from Stop 'n Go, was approached by Balero who pointed a gun at him and fired 10 rounds, striking the victim twice, once in each of his forearms.

Witnesses helped Jackson County Sheriff's Office deputies locate Balero in the area, and investigators recovered the firearm he discarded as he fled. His fingerprints were found on the magazine, and casings at the scene were matched to the gun. Investigators could find no connection between Balero and the victim, nor any reason for why Balero targeted him.

At the time of the shooting, Balero was on post-prison supervision and had only been out of prison for about a year for a 2017 stabbing of a separate, unrelated victim.