Local News

Medford Police arrested a man for attempted murder after he randomly assaulted a woman near North Medford High School last weekend.

On Saturday at 6:16 a.m., Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon (ECSO) began receiving calls about a disturbance on North Keene Way. Some of the callers reported a female screaming and a male assaulting the female.

ECSO then received an immediate call from the involved male -- identified as 22-year-old Anthony Siple -- who told dispatchers he had just assaulted a woman and made somewhat incoherent statements.

MPD officers arrived on scene within three minutes and the first responding officer contacted Siple as he was walking away from the scene with evidence that he had been involved in an assault. He was placed into custody immediately. Other officers located the 51-year-old female victim nearby seriously injured. Medical responders arrived and transported the victim to a nearby hospital where she was listed in critical condition.

Anthony Siple was lodged at the Jackson County Jail for Attempted Murder and 1st-Degree Assault. The investigation is ongoing, but MPD detectives believe that the suspect and victim were unknown to each other. The suspect used a blunt object during the assault and the object has been recovered. The female victim frequently made morning walks and lives in the area of the assault.

Detectives are attempting to determine a motivation for the assault. Records indicate the suspect is homeless and from the Ashland area. He has had minor contacts with law enforcement in Jackson County over the past year including arrests for relatively minor crimes.