Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for violating her post-prison supervision by once again obstructing traffic yesterday -- this time on the Parkway near the Debbs Potts Memorial Bridge. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident involving 37-year-old Jessica Shawnae Ryan Knowlton on Tuesday shortly before 11 a.m. and contacted her on the Grants Pass Parkway near SE M Street. Police said multiple callers reported a female subject running in and out of traffic on the Parkway. When they contacted the woman, she was walking in the bike lane and not on the highway. She had been arrested on Sunday for obstructing traffic on Foothill Boulevard near Pearce Park Road. Knowlton's corrections officer was contacted and she advised that her client has been refusing to check in, which is a violation of her parole. Knowlton was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Parole Violation. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.

 

A man who was wanted on a local felony warrant turned himself in at the Grants Pass Police Department early yesterday. GPPD reported that 46-year-old Jesse Andrew Greer surrendered to officers at the agency's headquarters on NE 7th Street on Tuesday at 8:29 a.m.. Police said Greer was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Probation Violation related to a previous arrest for Intimidation. No details about the alleged crime were disclosed. Greer was placed into custody and booked into the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man on five outstanding warrants while investigating a trespassing complaint in Cave Junction late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies contacted 41-year-old Robert Edward Blase, Jr, in the 200-block of South Kerby Avenue and placed him into custody at 4:32 p.m. Tuesday. Deputies said they were alerted two tents that had been on the private property for four days. The caller complained the male and female occupants start fires and walk around at night and there was trash everywhere. Blase was contacted at the illegal campsite and found to be wanted on a total of five Josephine County warrants listing multiple charges of Resisting Arrest and Criminal Trespass. He was transported to Grants Pass and lodged in jail in lieu of posting $40,000 bail. Blase's female companion -- who was identified only as "Venus" -- was told to gather her belongings and leave. She was warned that is she was found sleeping or hanging out there, she would be arrested for Criminal Trespass.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for stealing a vehicle out of California early today, but there was no room for him at the Josephine County Jail. The Police Department reports officers contacted 49-year-old John Robert Leblanc near the Garden Grove Apartments on Fruitdale Drive shortly before midnight and arrested him about 10 minutes later. Police said Leblanc was driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen by the Novato, California, Police Department on May 9th. They said the suspect failed to return the vehicle to a rental company which had sent him demand letters and text messages to which he did not respond. According to GPPD, the stolen vehicle was recovered and the rental company was notified. Leblanc was charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. He was cited to appear in court and released because the jail -- for unspecified reasons -- was not accepting new intakes.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department partnered with local law enforcement agencies to crack down on retail theft last weekend. GPPD, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Josephine County Community Corrections, Walmart Loss Prevention and WinCo Foods Loss Prevention targeted thieves stealing from both Walmart and WinCo on Saturday. Six thieves were apprehended during the single-evening operation and four of them were lodged at the Josephine County Jail. They included 23-year-old Dylan Andrew Thatcher, 30-year-old Thomas Murphy Grady O'Hara, 37-year-old Kendra Marie Anderson, 26-year-old Nick Dustin Farmer, 36-year-old Chauntelle Nadine Stulce and a 15-year-old male juvenile. Anderson was also arrested for Methamphetamine Possession. Stulce was released with a citation due to her young children being with her. The male juvenile was also released with a citation. In a Tuesday Facebook post, GPPD said it plans to continue these operations and pursue all retail theft with "zero-tolerance."

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for "amplifying" his role in an ongoing neighbor dispute in the southeast part of the city. The Police Department reports officers responded to a vandalism complaint in the 2,000-block of Doris Ann Lane during the noon hour on Monday. Police said a man called 9-1-1 to report that his neighbor had damaged a fence, broken a window and threatened to shoot his dogs over the past three weeks. The caller claimed he had sustained total damages of $15,000. He also said he had taken photos of the damage and his neighbor's blood was still on the window. The man -- identified as 57-year-old James William Russell -- stated he would deliberately use a large amplifier to cause annoyance to his neighbor. Even though he was warned against it, Russell wheeled the amp up to the fence-line and played music so loud it was impossible to hear a conversation. The suspect continued to play the extremely loud music for an extended time until he was placed into custody. Russell was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Disorderly Conduct. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for harassing doctors and staff at Three Rivers Medical Center early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a trespassing complaint at the hospital on SW Ramsey Avenue on Tuesday around 3:30 a.m.. Police said 42-year-old John Charles Haltom was trespassed by staff when he became hostile toward doctors and was moved to the front of the hospital. They said he showed signs of marijuana use, admitted to eating several cannabis edibles and believed his legs did not work. While placing Haltom into custody, officers said he tried to pull his arms and hands free. He continued to fight with deputies at the Josephine County Jail. Haltom was eventually booked into jail for Resisting Arrest. He was trespassed from Three Rivers Medical Center.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Washington woman for impaired driving this week while investigating a hit-and-run crash on Interstate 5 near Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers received a report about the incident and located the driver in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 58 late Monday night. Troopers said they contacted 69-year-old Kristin Estelle Harlan of Port Townsend, Washington, and she displayed signs of impairment. They said she also performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so she was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center where she provided a breath sample that exceeded the legal driving limit. According to OSP, Harlan hit a Toyota 4-Runner driven by a 38-year-old Medford woman and failed to stop to exchange information. No one was injured. Harlan was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Hit-and-Run Causing Property Damage. She was lodged at the Sobering Center and her Ford C-MAX was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving following a traffic complaint in the Redwood area early yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a black Jeep driven by 33-year-old Katy Lee Hermes in the 1800-block of Medart Lane on Tuesday at about 3 a.m.. Police said they received a call from a fellow motorist that the suspect vehicle was swerving all over the roadway before the driver parked far away from the curb in the area of SW Esther and Waterstone. The caller said they talked to the suspect and she admitted that she was very drunk. Officers stopped Hermes after she drove away and they said she displayed strong signs of impairment. She performed poorly in field sobriety tests and was placed into custody. She was cited for Driving under the Influence of Intoxicants and then released. Her Jeep was parked and secured.