Local News

Grants Pass Police jailed a man on two local felony warrants after a weekend patrol check at a city park. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Justin Matthew Webber at Riverside Park on Saturday at 9:25 p.m.. Police said they contacted Webber as a potential suspect in a case they were investigating, ran his information through dispatch and discovered that there were two valid and serviceable warrants for his arrest. Webber was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for the same crime. He had been out of compliance with his registration since June 2019. After the warrants were confirmed, Justin Webber was lodged at the Josephine County Jail without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a woman for violating her post-prison supervision after she was involved in a drug-fueled weekend incident at Riverside Park. According to the Police Department, officers arrested 30-year-old Malae Ryean Kimack at the city park on Saturday at 9:40 a.m.. Police said Kimack was located inside the men's restroom at Riverside Park and she appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. A witness reported that she was splashing water around and slapping walls in the restroom. Kimack had a prior trespass warning at the park and she was found to be in possession of a Schedule 2 narcotic substance, which was seized for destruction. Malae Kimack was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Criminal Trespass, the narcotics violation and the resulting Felony Parole Violation. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for indecent behavior at a local motel over the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving 45-year-old Steven Adam Hughes at the Grants Pass Travelodge on NW Vine Street on Saturday around 11:30 a.m.. Police said Hughes and the motel manager got into an argument over the price of a room. They said he exposed and briefly fondled himself in front of the woman, and he did so in clear view of the public -- including two witnesses who retreated to a nearby restaurant and called 9-1-1. After placing Hughes into custody at the motel, officers learned that he had a prior conviction for indecent behavior in 2019. Steven Hughes was lodged at the Josephine County for Felony Public Indecency. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for attempting to steal nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise from Walmart. The Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting call involving 42-year-old Carol Ann Shimer at the store on NE Terry Lane on Saturday at about 12:25 p.m.. Police said Shimer went to Walmart and selected more than $939 worth of items after she had purchased her prescription medications. They said she passed all points of sale and failed to pay for the large shopping cart full of merchandise. Carol Shimer was initially uncooperative with loss prevention at the store. She was placed into custody and lodged at the nearby Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. A debit card in her possession was returned to a man staying at Motel 6.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for beating up a woman at a transient camp located just west of Grants Pass late last week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 32-year-old Jeffrey Allen McPeak for the incident at a campsite near Granite Hill Cemetery on Friday morning. Deputies said a woman called 9-1-1 to report that she was sleeping in a tent when McPeak woke her up by head-butting and punching her repeatedly. The caller said her eye was swollen shut from the attack and the suspect threatened to burn her with rubbing alcohol if she did not stay inside the tent. McPeak had already been flagged for being uncooperative with law enforcement. He has a history with martial arts using swords and is known to carry the weapon. Upon arrival, deputies located McPeak near the railroad tracks and placed him into custody. He was in possession of a sword, which was seized as evidence. Jeffrey McPeak was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault and Menacing -- both constituting domestic violence. He was held without bail. Although the female victim had a large swollen black eye, she declined medical treatment. She and four dogs were taken to the Women's Crisis Support Team.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department and Josephine County Sheriff's Office worked together to arrest a woman for allegedly stealing a vehicle and personal belongings from a man at a north-city trailer park. The Police Department reports deputies made a traffic stop on the stolen Dodge Challenger and placed 29-year-old Brittanie Marie Miller into custody near the intersection of Highland Avenue and Merlin Road on Friday afternoon. Police said Miller entered a trailer at Jack's Landing on NW Morgan Lane and took the victim's car keys without direct or implied consent. They said she also took his Louis Vuitton bag valued at $3,200 and his iPhone 14 valued at $980 as well as his medications. All the items were recovered during the traffic stop. According to the report, Miller's passenger -- identified as Christopher Hawkins -- got out of the stolen car, but Miller initially refused to do so. The victim's brother was able to track the location of the stolen car using a cell phone app that followed it into the Merlin area. The brother picked up the victim's car and belongings. Brittanie Miller was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, 1st-Degree Theft, 2nd-Degree Theft and Driving While Suspended. She was being held without bail.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office apprehended a man on statewide and local felony warrants during a random encounter late last week. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies arrested 30-year-old Jacob Tyler Cottrell in an unspecified location around midday Friday. Deputies said they were on patrol when they spotted Cottrell passed out behind the wheel of a Hyundai Accent. They said he was uncooperative and initially refused to step out of the car. A records check revealed that Cottrell was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Parole Violation stemming from a conviction for five counts of 1st-Degree Burglary and one count of Heroin Possession. He was also wanted on a Grants Pass warrant containing a secret indictment for Felony Mail Theft. Jacob Cottrell was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a sweater from a downtown store at the start of the weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the theft complaint at Wild Rogue Emporium on SW 6th Street on Friday around 5 p.m.. Police said 50-year-old Craig David Saddler took a sweater valued at $149 from the store, put it on and exited the business without paying. They said he walked several doors down to Gallop & Glitz where he was eventually located and placed into custody. Saddler reportedly admitted to the theft before he was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Theft. He was also trespassed from both downtown stores.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for siphoning gasoline from a vehicle parked at a north-city automobile dealership. The Police Department reports officers were alerted to the incident at Best Auto on NE Hillcrest Drive on Saturday shortly after 3 a.m.. Police said the dealership manager called 9-1-1 after seeing a male subject stealing gas from a vehicle on video surveillance. The caller stated that he wanted to press charges against the suspect, who had fled the scene before officers arrived. Officers searched the area for 22-year-old Alyczander Truel Morgan before finding him hiding behind a nearby massage business and abandoned shop building. He was located with a gas can and garden hose when he was placed into custody. Alyczander Morgan was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and 3rd-Degree Theft.