Local News

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman twice in the North Valley area over the weekend. The Sheriff's Office reports the first incident occurred on Friday afternoon when deputies responded to a domestic disturbance in the 7200-block of Monument Drive. Deputies said a 33-year-old female subject pushed a man against the wall and started throwing things at him. The man was not seriously hurt, but he wanted to press charges and the woman was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Physical Harassment. On Saturday afternoon, the woman returned to the residence even though she consented to a no-contact agreement upon her release from jail. Jail deputies repeatedly told the woman she would be arrested if she returned to the home. Deputies returned to the rural property and placed the suspect into custody. This time, she was charged with Violation of a Court Order and lodged in jail without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended an out-of-state fugitive during a weekend traffic stop in the Illinois Valley. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies pulled over a vehicle containing the 41-year-old woman on Eight Dollar Mountain Road near Forest Service Road 29 at about 5:40 p.m. Saturday. Deputies said they pulled over the vehicle because it had swapped license plates. While contacting the female subject, they discovered that she was wanted on a felony warrant out of Sarasota County, Florida, for violating court intervention program conditions for Felony Attempt to Elude Police, Resisting Arrest and Driving While Suspended. She initially provided deputies with a false name. According to the report, the woman complained of stomach pain and she was checked out by medics near the Green Bridge before being placed into custody. The suspect was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Furnishing False Information to Police. She was being held without bail pending extradition proceedings.

 

Grants Pass Police tracked down and arrested a probation violator at a local motel that doubles as an apartment complex this past weekend. According to the Police Department, officers received a Friday evening tip that the 28-year-old man was hiding at the Hawks Inn Motel on NW 6th Street. Police said a woman consented to have her apartment searched for the male subject who was wanted on a Grants Pass felon warrant for Probation Violation related to an arrest for Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance. He was found hiding underneath some blankets in a closet and was placed into custody. After the warrant was confirmed, the suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested an out-of-compliance sex offender after responding to a weekend trespassing complaint at the Williams Highway Plaza. The Police Department reports officers were alerted on Saturday night to a male subject who had returned to Safeway after he had been trespassed earlier in the day. He had been kicked out of the store and told not to return, but he did anyway. Police said they contacted the 31-year-old man in front of the Magic Man store on Williams Highway a short time later and discovered that he was wanted for being out-of-compliance with his sex offender registration. He advised officers that he was told by his attorney that he no longer had to register and he was a "free man." Court records disagreed with the man's assertion, so he was placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two women for their unruly behavior during separate weekend incidents. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Saturday at about 7:30 a.m. when they responded to a traffic complaint at the intersection of Williams Highway and New Hope Road. Police said a 39-year-old woman was laying in the crosswalk at the intersection, impeding traffic, causing public alarm and generating numerous calls to 9-1-1. She was placed into custody and lodged in jail for Disorderly Conduct plus a resulting Felony Parole Violation. She was being held on a no-bail detainer. The second incident happened on Saturday at 10:12 a.m. when officers responded to a female subject running up to cars at the corner of SE 6th and H streets. She also had kicked over signs while walking on the sidewalk near Diamond Cannabis. Since the 34-year-old woman's behavior caused public alarm and annoyance, she was lodged in jail for Disorderly Conduct. She was being held without bail.

 

Two people were injured and two dogs were killed in a recreational vehicle fire that erupted early today in the North Valley area. At 2:29 this morning, Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response were dispatched to the fire in the 1,000-block of Plumtree Lane. Arriving units found a fully-involved RV that was spreading to a nearby car. Two subjects with various burn injuries were located on the street. They were cared for by firefighters and medics before being transported to Three Rivers Medical Center. Unfortunately, two dogs were found inside the RV that did not survive the fire. A third dog was found to be unharmed and it was taken into the care of firefighters until animal control became available. Rural Metro officials said the fire occurred at a location that is well-known to fire crews due to a number of previous incidents. They said the Oregon State Fire Marshal is leading the investigation.

 

A loaded fuel tanker trailer overturned on Redwood Highway near Wilderville yesterday, effectively halting all traffic in both directions for several hours. Rural Metro crews from the Wilderville Station arrived at the crash scene on Sunday around 12:25 p.m. to find the trailer actively leaking diesel and gasoline. The driver was not injured. A large emergency response converged on the scene including the Oregon State Police, Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Oregon Department of Transportation and the heavy recovery team from Caveman Towing. Firefighters assisted ODOT with spill containment and plugging vent holes in the trailer from further leakage as well as standby in case of fire. The precision recovery by Caveman was completed about three hours after the report to 9-1-1. US Highway 199 was reopened a short time later, but traffic movement was slow due to the amount of backup. The affected stretch of highway does not have any suitable detours, leaving motorists to wait or turn around. OSP was investigating the cause of the crash.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for frightening family members while he was highly intoxicated in the Redwood area at the start of the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to a domestic disturbance in the 1400-block of Dowell Road on Friday at about 6:15 p.m.. Police said a young male called 9-1-1 from that address, advised dispatchers that his father was drunk and he was swinging knives around. The young man and other family members retreated to his grandmother's nearby house. No one was hurt, but the dangerous incident frightened everyone involved. The man reportedly stated that he would fight with police officers, but they were able to place him into custody without incident. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for suspicion of Harassment and he was being held without bail.

 

An alert employee at the Grants Pass & Josephine County Chamber of Commerce helped Grants Pass Police track down a man who had vandalized the facility earlier this month. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 48-year-old male subject near the Dollar Tree on NW 6th Street on Friday at 2:23 p.m.. Police said the man was identified as the suspect who intentionally damaged an Avista gas meter and a Pacific Power electricity meter at the Chamber, which is located at 1995 NW Vine Street. The facility was evacuated after the vandalism caused a gas leak. The suspect was observed by the Chamber worker on Friday near the Dollar Tree and they called 9-1-1. Officers swooped in and placed the man into custody. He later admitted to causing damage to the public utility devices. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on two counts of Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.