KAJO 99.7FM - News Story

OSP Stopped Four over Weekend for Warrants, Unauthorized Vehicle Usage

Oregon State Police troopers made three warrant arrests and lodged a man for unauthorized motor vehicle usage over the weekend on U.S. Highway 199.

Early Friday morning, a traffic stop was initiated on a green Subaru Legacy. The trooper contacted the driver and passenger at the corner of the highway and Ringuette Street around 12:52 a.m. The driver was issued a warning, and the passenger, Christina Nissen, 42, of Merlin, was found to have two warrants.

Both misdemeanor no-bail arrest warrants charged Nissen with Second Degree Theft for stolen property. She was subsequently arrested by the trooper and lodged in the Adult Jail Facility.

Later that same day at 6:47 a.m., troopers pulled over an orange Dodge Challenger at milepost 8 of the highway. The vehicle had been reported as stolen, and the driver, Jorge Lopez, 41, of Thorntin, California, was contacted. He was taken into custody for Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, and transported to the Josephine County Jail for lodging.

The Challenger was towed from the scene, and the license plate, which didn't belong to the vehicle, was seized for safekeeping.

That night around 10:13 p.m., troopers again conducted a traffic stop after observing a violation on U.S. Highway 199 milepost 2. The driver, Leonardo Lopez Lopez, 38, of Grants Pass, was found to be suspended from driving at the misdemeanor level, and wanted on Josephine County Sheriff's Office warrant.

He was transported to jail and lodged for his charges. The vehicle was released to a passenger.

Lastly, at the corner of the highway and Ingalls Lane in Wilderville, a gray Chevy Malibu was pulled over for observed violations. Troopers found the driver, Travis Trevino, 29, of Brookings, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

He was lodged in jail, and the vehicle was left in the care of his passenger.

Posted on 7/6/26 10:57AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Deputy Arrested Trespassing Man on Misdemeanor Warrant

A Josephine County Sheriff's deputy apprehended man wanted for Second Degree Trespassing.

The suspect was located by law enforcement in a wooded area near the A Plus Self Storage in Cave Junction Sunday at 11 a.m. The deputy recognized the suspect, Rell Baty, by sight and knew he was not only wanted out of the Sheriff's Office on a misdemeanor warrant, but trespassing at the incident location.

Baty was advised he was under arrest, and was compliant. The deputy took Baty into custody and transported him to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility. He was lodged on his warrant charging him with Second Degree Trespass, plus an additional charge of Trespass in the Second Degree. Due to a lack of resources at the jail, he was later released.

Posted on 7/6/26 7:46AM by Alex Bauer

Man Confronted Vehicle with Knife, Arrested by GP Police

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for Disorderly Conduct after he was reported to be confronting a vehicle with a knife.

The caller reported the suspect to dispatch Saturday around 7:51 p.m. According to the police report, the suspect, identified as Alton Roth, was observed at the corner of Redwood Avenue and Medart Lane in the middle of the road with what appeared to be a knife.

He was yelling and screaming at a group of individuals in a vehicle, and his behavior was described as violent, causing public alarm. Officers arrived and contacted Roth, who complied with commands and was taken into custody for Second Degree Disorderly Conduct.

He advised officers that he was being harassed by someone who was following him around. He wouldn't name the individual, and he neglected to make a report. Officers confirmed through an admission from Roth that he confronted the incident vehicle in the middle of the road instead of calling law enforcement.

Roth was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged on his Disorderly Conduct charge. He was later released on his own recognizance.

Posted on 7/6/26 5:28AM by Alex Bauer

Fire Crews Responded to, Extinguished Fires over 4th of July Weekend

Multiple fire crews were alerted to separate blazes over the holiday weekend.

Early Saturday morning, Grants Pass Fire and Rescue crews responded to two fires in the City that were both a result of fireworks. Each incident was kept small and mitigated within minutes of the first engine arriving.

A grass fire sparked around 12:45 a.m. in the southeast part of the City. A tree and blackberries lit up, encroaching on power lines overhead. The fire was quickly knocked down, lined, and mopped up within 20 minutes.

Just before 2 a.m., a vehicle fire was reported in the southwest part of the City. Crews arrived to find a truck bed on fire in the driveway of a residence. The fire was controlled quickly and the scene was turned back to the owner, again within 20 minutes.

Later that day, the Illinois Valley Fire District and Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest Oregon District were dispatched to a grass fire around 4:51 p.m.

The fire, occurring in the 600 block of Fernwood Drive in Cave Junction, was successfully extinguished after having spanned one-hundredth of an acre. Units engaged in mop-up operations, and the incident is under investigation.

Then on Sunday, Rural Metro Fire Department and ODF Southwest Oregon District crews were dispatched to the scene of an approximately 1/10th acre fire in the 5200 block of Jump Off Joe Creek Road.

Structures were sparse in the area and none were threatened. By 2:08 p.m., fire growth was stopped, and mop-up operations took place.

Posted on 7/6/26 5:04AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Office Seeking Public's Help in Finding Missing Woman

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is searching for a missing woman. Deputies received a report that Desiree Wytcherley was last seen on June 11th, 2026 in the Wilderville area. She is described as a white 5'11" woman with brown hair, blue eyes, and weighing about 145 lbs. She is known to frequent the Wilderville Store and surrounding Redwood Highway areas. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Desiree are encouraged to call the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office at 541-474-5123. Reference Case #26-18307.

Posted on 7/3/26 9:06PM by Alex Bauer

Code 4 Fundraiser "Brews for Craven" Raises $21,500 for Recovering Officer and Family

The Code 4 Tap House fundraiser Brews for Craven, in support of Grants Pass Police Officer Jeffrey Craven in his battle with cancer, raised about $21,500 in support of him and his family. The event was held July 1st starting at 5 p.m. A call to the business showed that over the course of four hours, with 100% of tips and 50% of sales, plus a match from Oregon Ice, the tap house was able to raise the funds to support the Craven family. As of this report, Officer Craven's GoFundMe page has raised about $41,130, 92% of the way to the $45K goal. The community can visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-jeff-cravens-fight-for-recovery to further support his fight for recovery.

Posted on 7/3/26 1:33PM by Alex Bauer

Woman Threw Cup of Urine into Mini Storage Property, Cited by GP Police

A woman was cited to appear in court after throwing a cup full of urine over the Booth Street Mini Storage fence.

Officers responded to the incident after receiving word that the cup was still on the property. The caller reported the suspect said she was never on the property so she couldn't be trespassed. She was still at the back fence when officers arrived.

The suspect, identified only as Mack, was contacted at the scene. Officers trespassed her from the 124 NW Booth Street location, and cited her for urinating and discarding the cup at the business.

Posted on 7/3/26 12:58PM by Alex Bauer

One Individual Evaluated in Selma Traffic Accident, Emergency Units Responded

Emergency crews responded to a traffic accident that occurred in Selma Thursday night.

The incident, involving a single vehicle that wound up in a ditch, was reported at 9:04 p.m. The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, and the Oregon State Police were dispatched to the scene in the 17,000 block of the Redwood Highway.

Medical personnel evaluated one individual, who subsequently declined transport to the hospital. OSP troopers conducted an investigation into the incident.

Posted on 7/3/26 12:33PM by Alex Bauer

GP Police Lodged Man Trespassing at Home for Burglary, Criminal Mischief

Grants Pass Police arrested a man found trespassing in someone else's home Thursday.

The 911 Dispatch Center received a call at 2:22 p.m. regarding what appeared to be a vehicle caught on security cameras at a property in the 300 block of Majestic Drive. The caller also reported a camera in the upstairs bedroom had either been turned to face the wall or was covered with something.

Dispatch learned no one should be on the property. The caller said, upon further review of the security footage from June 30th around midnight, that it may have been someone with a flashlight going up the driveway and toward the back of the house.

Officers responded to find the property gate open, and a vehicle blocking the way. Law enforcement continued on foot to the property. Lights were on in the house, and multiple announcements were made, but no one answered.

Police began clearing the home, and found one individual. He was identified as Cody Bayne, and was promptly arrested. He was transported to jail and lodged on charges of First Degree Burglary, Criminal Trespass in the First Degree, and Second and Third Degree Criminal Mischief.

Posted on 7/3/26 11:45AM by Alex Bauer

Two Found Camping at Baker Park, One Arrested by GP Police for Trespassing

A woman was arrested by Grants Pass Police Thursday after she and a man were found camping in Baker Park.

Dispatch was notified around 11:33 a.m. of the two individuals that had reportedly set up a tent by the river and under the bridge at the 760 E Park Street location. A wooden structure was built next to the tent, and the caller requested a response from law enforcement.

Upon arrival, officers took one of the suspects, Michelle Richardson, into custody. She had previously been trespassed from the park, and stated she had been camping there for approximately two weeks.

Officers transported Richardson to the Josephine County Jail where she was lodged on a charge of Second Degree Criminal Trespass. Her belongings were entered into safekeeping, and she was later released due to a lack of jail resources.

Posted on 7/3/26 11:25AM by Alex Bauer

Sam's Valley Highway Repair Work to Commence July 6th

Work to repair sunken pavement on Sam's Valley Highway near Eagle Point will require a two-week closure of a half-mile section of the highway.

Beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, July 6th, Oregon Highway 234 will be closed at all times between Modoc Road and Dodge Road.

Following an extensive pavement repair project last year, the new road base settled, causing the highway near milepost 15 to sink and crack. Additional reconstruction is needed to restore the road. Work is expected to be complete by July 20.

During the closure, a detour will be available using Dodge Road and Antioch Road. Travelers may also take Antioch Road or Modoc Road south to Table Rock Road to connect to Oregon 140 and Oregon 62 in White City.

Expect congestion along the detour route and nearby roads. Use caution and factor in extra time for the detour. Travelers are encouraged to use an alternate route to avoid the area entirely.

Visit TripCheck.com for the latest information on road conditions and closures.

Posted on 7/3/26 11:04AM by Alex Bauer

JoCo Sheriff's Office Lodged Man with State Warrants for Trespassing

Deputies with the Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for trespassing early Thursday morning.

The suspect, James Stabler, was located by deputies in the 100 block of Murphy Creek Road around 2:20 a.m. While initially uncooperative, Stabler was taken into custody for Second Degree Trespass.

His identity was confirmed, and deputies were advised by both the Redding and Loveland Police Departments that Stabler had multiple misdemeanor and Felony State warrants. He also reportedly has an uncooperative history with law enforcement.

He was subsequently lodged in jail for his trespass charge. He was later released for a lack of resources at the Adult Jail Facility.

Posted on 7/3/26 11:03AM by Alex Bauer

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