Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a local felon for dining and drinking at a downtown restaurant with the intent of not paying for the meal. The Police Department reports officers responded to a theft complaint at the G Street Bar & Grill on Saturday night. Police said 44-year-old Danial Bryan Cook ordered $60 worth of food and alcohol from the restaurant and consumed the meal without having any money. He did not try to dine and dash, and he was placed into custody at the scene. Danial Cook is a Josephine Community Corrections client, so his parole officer was contacted. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft and the resulting Parole Violation. He was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Grants Pass Office of the Oregon State Police assisted the Douglas County Sheriff's Office last weekend with locating a driver involved in an Interstate 5 pursuit that started near Glendale. OSP reports troopers responded to the incident in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 5 in the Wolf Creek area on Sunday at about 10:30 p.m.. Troopers said the vehicle -- a Jeep Grand Cherokee -- was left abandoned on the freeway after it went south in the northbound lanes while attempting to elude law enforcement. It was unclear in the report if the suspect was arrested. According to OSP, drug paraphernalia that was left in plain sight was seized and submitted for destruction. The suspect vehicle was moved off the freeway and towed to Grants Pass as a hazard.

 

A motorist escaped injury but not a citation after he crashed his vehicle on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County near Sunny Valley early yesterday. According to the Oregon State Police, troopers and emergency crews responded to the single-vehicle rollover accident in the northbound lanes of I-5 at milepost 73.5 on Monday at 10:18 a.m.. Troopers said 28-year-old Caleb Wood Okelberry was driving a Honda Civic too fast for the conditions and lost control while negotiating a curve. The car left the freeway, struck a ditch and rolled. The driver declined medical attention and his vehicle was towed to his residence at his request. Following an investigation, Okelberry was cited for Violating the Basic Rule.

 

Grants Pass Police cited several people for ordinance violations and evicted some of them during patrols of city parks early yesterday. During a patrol check at Westholm Park, officers contacted four men who were reported to be doing drugs in the public restroom. Mark Morales, Justice Cory, Jose Hermosillo, III, and Jose Hermosillo, IV, denied doing drugs and were asked to leave the restroom. Johnny Thavisack was warned for Nuisance Dog. Timothy Wood was cited for Illegal Camping and was trespassed from the park for 30 days. During a patrol check at Riverside Park, Jacob Farias was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Improper Utilization of Park Space. He was issued a park exclusion. During a patrol check at Tussing Park, campers identified as Lawrence, Cecil, Baysinger and Thompson were cited for Illegal Camping after failing to remove their tents upon receiving 72-hour notices. All four were trespassed for 30 days. Donnie Snow was warned for Buffer Zone Violation. During a patrol check at Fruitdale Park, a camper identified as Rich was cited for Marijuana Use, Drug Possession in a Park and Scattering Rubbish. A camper named Galloway was warned for Buffer Zone Violation. During a patrol check at Morrison Centennial Park, John Francis was cited for Illegal Camping after failing to remove his tent and issued a park exclusion. A camper identified as Cook was cited for Illegal Camping and Buffer Zone Violation and he was trespassed. A camper named Smith was cited for Illegal Camping after failing to remove her tent.

 

Two Grants Pass teenagers are in custody for the murders of two men at a Medford apartment complex earlier this month. The Medford Police Department reported Monday that two 17-year-old boys from Grants Pass were arrested last weekend and lodged at the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center on charges of 2nd-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder. Because they are juveniles, MPD said the names of the arrestees won't be released. Detectives said during the December 3rd incident at the Charles Point apartment complex on Highgate Street, it is believed that a confrontation broke out over a past disagreement. During the confrontation, shots were fired by multiple parties. Responding officers located two individuals with gunshot wounds and both were transported to a local hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. As released by MPD last week, the homicide victims were identified as 26-year-old Christian Torres of White City and 33-year-old Dontrell Manninen of Medford. The case will be prosecuted by the Jackson County District Attorney's Office and no further information will be released on the case at this time.

 

A tragic accident on Interstate 5 in northern Josephine County claimed the life of a Medford woman late last week. The Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to a pedestrian struck by a commercial vehicle in the southbound lanes of I-5 at milepost 75 near Wolf Creek on Friday shortly before 6 p.m.. OSP said a preliminary investigation indicated the victim -- 62-year-old Tami Lee of Medford -- was operating a Kia sedan when she struck an animal and exited her vehicle to check on the animal. That's when she was struck by a Freightliner semi-truck operated by a 65-year-old Elmira man. Lee was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the semi remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. The freeway was closed for about one hour. OSP was assisted at the fatal crash scene by the Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District, Rural Metro Fire Department and Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office was investigating two unrelated crashes when vehicles struck trees west of Grants Pass last weekend -- just 20 minutes apart. On Sunday at 7:02 p.m., Rural Metro Fire Department and American Medical Response were dispatched to an accident in which a pickup struck a tree just off Azalea Drive near Ewe Creek Road. Rural Metro officials said units arrived on scene to find the occupants had fled from the crash, so injuries were unknown. The damaged pickup was towed to Grants Pass. On Sunday at 7:22 p.m., Rural Metro, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and AMR rushed to the scene of a pickup into a tree on Plumtree Lane near the railroad tracks. Rural Metro said arriving units found the driver significantly injured. Crews used specialized rescue tools to remove the doors and push the dash away to free the driver, who was transported by ambulance to a Medford area trauma hospital. The damaged truck was towed to Grants Pass. In both cases, sheriff's deputies responded to investigate the causes of the crashes.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for felony robbery after he used physical force in an attempt to steal items from Fred Meyer last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 37-year-old Joshua Michael Hellyer for the incident at the store on the Grants Pass Parkway on Sunday at 6:36 p.m.. Police said Hellyer passed all points of sale at Fred Meyer with merchandise valued at about $340. He was initially detained by an employee followed by two loss prevention associates. Loss prevention tried to retain their property when the suspect grabbed one of the associates by the throat with his hand and squeezed. The associate's normal breathing was impeded by Hellyer until he let go and fled the scene. The suspect was contacted by police a short time later in the next door parking lot and placed into custody. He reportedly banged his head in the patrol vehicle, but he was not hurt. Joshua Hellyer was lodged at the nearby Josephine County Jail for Felony 3rd-Degree Robbery, 2nd-Degree Theft, Strangulation and Physical Harassment. The stolen merchandise was recovered by Fred Meyer and he was trespassed from the store.

 

A Grants Pass man could not have picked a worse time to try to steal items from Walmart last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 27-year-old Spencer Phillip Ryder at the store on NE Terry Lane on Sunday at about 1:20 p.m.. Police said Ryder entered Walmart during the holiday "Shop with a Cop" event when the store was filled with law enforcement helping children select Christmas gifts for their families. They said he selected items valued at $38.96 and went past all points of sale while making no attempt to pay for the merchandise. Needless to say, it didn't take long for police arrive to place Ryder into custody. He was lodged at the nearby adult jail facility for 3rd-Degree Theft. He was also cited for a narcotics violation.