Local News

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will consider grant agreements, a purchase request and intergovernmental agreements during its weekly business session tomorrow morning. The Board will open the meeting with a proclamation declaring May 4th to be "Sanctity of Life and Respect for Life Day." Josephine County Right to Life will hold its annual public protest of the Roe v. Wade decision on Sunday. Under Administrative Actions, the Commissioners will consider grant agreements with the Mobile Integrative Navigation Team (MINT), Max's Mission and the HIV Alliance. Also on the agenda is a Community Justice Vehicle Purchase Request. In other business, the Board will decide whether to renew intergovernmental pacts with the Oregon Department of Human Services and Oregon Youth Authority. Requests and Comments from Citizens allows participants to address the Board for up to three minutes on virtually any topic pertaining to Josephine County. Thursday's public meeting starts at 10 a.m. in the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

An Illinois Valley man is in custody for four felony-level crimes after he allegedly fired several shots at two people and stole a quad from a Cave Junction area home. The Josephine County Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 31-year-old Blaine Matthew Case for the incident in the 5200-block of Dick George Road on Tuesday at 6:06 p.m.. Deputies said they initially received a report that a male subject came onto the property looking for the owner, got into a verbal argument with the caretakers and fired five or six rounds at them. They said five bullet casings were recovered from where the shots were fired and four of the bullets struck the garage very close to where the victims were standing. The shooter fled the scene. A short time later, Case returned to the property and stole an Arctic Cat ATV from the victims. An investigation determined the suspect was a former employee of the property owner who lives nearby and his vehicle was identified as a GMC Yukon. Deputies located the stolen quad in the garage of Case's residence, but he was not there. They tracked him down at or near Illinois Valley River Forks State Park and placed him into custody. The quad was recovered by its owner. Case was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on felony charges including two counts of Attempted 1st-Degree Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle plus a misdemeanor charge of 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. He was being held without bail pending his court arraignment this afternoon.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman early yesterday for harassing the manager of an apartment complex from which she had been evicted. The Police Department reports officers responded to the disturbance at Oakview Garden Apartments on NE Anderson Street on Tuesday around 8:15 a.m.. Police said the apartment manager reported 49-year-old Kathleen Frances Kirven repeatedly yelled and publicly insulted her at the complex. They said the suspect was banging on her office door and making threatening statements, which placed her in fear of physical injury. The manager advised this has been an ongoing issue. According to the report, Kirven also called 9-1-1 to report that the manager had violated a stalking order which did not exist. The suspect also stated that she works for the FBI, claimed she had been attacked and the manager was trying to kill her. Kirven had been evicted from her apartment in February, but she had not moved and was scheduled to appear in court yesterday. She was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Harassment. She was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing an expensive cell phone from the vehicle of a city contractor early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the crime near the temporary resting site at the corner of 6th and A streets on Tuesday at 9:40 a.m.. Police said the victim's vehicle was parked in a dirt area near the unhoused camp across the street from City Hall when the incident occurred. They said the victim contracts with the City to clean up the resting site. Further investigation revealed that 42-year-old Christopher Davis was captured on video stealing the Samsung phone valued at $1,200 after entering the victim's vehicle. Davis was located and contacted. He admitted to the theft, but the phone had already changed hands and it was not recovered. Davis was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Theft and Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for violating a court order by arranging to meet with his estranged wife in order to see their young daughter. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 21-year-old suspect at the NE Beacon Drive McDonald's on Tuesday at 11:42 a.m.. Police said the suspect called his estranged wife and asked to see his daughter even though both are protected from him by a court-ordered restraining order. They said the woman contacted GPPD before she agreed to meet with him at McDonald's and when he showed up, he was placed into custody on an outstanding warrant for Contempt of Court. The suspect was lodged in jail on the warrant plus new charges of Contempt of Court and Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested two young men and a juvenile for leading deputies on a pursuit in the Redwood and Jerome Prairie areas last night. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies encountered the three boys riding small motorcycles in the area of Redwood Avenue and Blake Court on Tuesday shortly before 8 p.m.. None of the bikes was street legal and a traffic stop was initiated. Two 18-year-old boys and a 15-year-old boy refused to yield and sped away, leading deputies out Dowell Road across Redwood Highway to Arnold Avenue and Sand Creek Road. The two older boys were detained on Sand Creek near Jerome Prairie Road, but the younger boy continued to flee until he was found on Kellenbeck Avenue near Redwood Avenue. All three young suspects were charged with Felony Attempt to Elude Police. The older boys were lodged in jail while the younger boy was taken to the Juvenile Justice Center. All three motorbikes were impounded.

 

Three law enforcement agencies worked together to apprehend a domestic violence and vehicle theft suspect during a chase in southern Jackson County. On Monday afternoon, the Medford Police Department responded to a reported disturbance at Jackson County Community Justice on West Main Street. Officers learned that a male suspect identified as 47-year-old Alfred Mabrier had allegedly stolen a black Honda Civic from a female acquaintance following a domestic disturbance and fled the scene recklessly, causing multiple hit-and-run accidents. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office located the stolen vehicle traveling south on South Pacific Highway in south Medford and attempted a traffic stop. Mabrier eluded a deputy at high speeds while driving dangerously through south Medford, Phoenix, Talent and into Ashland where he rear-ended another vehicle and continued to flee. Mabrier's reckless driving ended in a crash at the intersection of Main and Maple streets in Ashland. He fled on foot, but was quickly captured by deputies and Ashland police officers. He was transported to a local hospital for evaluation and medically cleared for custody. Mabrier faces multiple charges from MPD and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. He was lodged in jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Endangering, 4th-Degree Domestic Assault, Domestic Harassment, 1st-Degree Theft, 3rd-Degree Robbery, Reckless Driving, Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage and Disorderly Conduct plus a Felony Probation Detainer. The Sheriff's Office added a charge of Resisting Arrest. MPD Lieutenant Geoff Kirkpatrick commended the coordinated efforts of all responding agencies for safely apprehending the suspect. The investigation is ongoing.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department jailed a male suspect for intentionally using his vehicle to seriously injure a woman in a shopping center parking lot yesterday. On Tuesday at about 1:20 p.m., numerous calls were received by the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center regarding a car hitting a woman in the parking lot of Albertson's in the Allen Creek Shopping Center. GPPD expedited its response to the incident with the Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response. The victim was rushed to Three Rivers Medical Center where she was listed in serious but stable condition. The male driver -- identified as 38-year-old Derek Laland Daniels -- was detained as a criminal investigation was initiated. In addition to striking and injuring the woman, the suspect also hit two parked cars. The Grants Pass Major Crimes Team was activated to assist in the investigation. At approximately 4:34 p.m., Daniels was arrested. He was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Reckless Driving.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a well-known criminal offender for multiple crimes after she caused a dangerous disturbance in the south part of the city this week. The Police Department reports officers deployed a Taser multiple times in order to subdue and arrest 32-year-old Whitney Ann Word in the 1200-block of Plummer Avenue on Monday evening. Police said Word was the subject of multiple complaints of a woman walking down the middle of Ringuette Street and forcing vehicles to go around her. She was actively impeding traffic and displaying signs consistent with narcotics use when they arrived on scene. Officers established probable cause to arrest Word, but she fled on foot and began attempting to enter several occupied vehicles while placing civilians at serious risk. The suspect failed to comply with lawful commands, so officers deployed a Taser three times with no effect. Two additional probes were deployed which achieved neuromuscular incapacitation and she was placed into custody. Word was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Attempted Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Attempted Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct and Escape. She was being held without bail. The Oregon State Police reported taking Word to Three Rivers Medical Center earlier in the day after she was obstructing traffic in the East Jones Creek area.