Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man found waving around a large branch and throwing carts outside an Abby's Pizza.

Dispatch was notified of the incident Monday at 11:47 p.m. The caller stated the suspect was talking to himself outside the 1560 Williams Highway restaurant. He also reportedly had a knife in his hands while moving the carts around.

The suspect hadn't threatened anyone with the knife, and proceeded to take off his shirt before officers arrived around 11:54 p.m. Police identified the suspect as Michael Carrero, and found him to be under the influence of intoxicants.

His parole officer was contacted, and a detainer was requested, so law enforcement took Carrero into custody for lodging. He was transported to jail and incarcerated for his detainer.

 

A Fred Meyer employee alerted dispatch to a man trespassing that had been warned for the same offense twice in the last year.

Monday at 7:11 p.m. the employee reported the suspect was asked to leave but remained in the shoe department of the 1101 Grants Pass Parkway store. She requested officers respond, and identified the suspect as wearing a black USA t-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses on his head.

He was contacted by arriving officers in the garden section and identified as David Chaffee. Police took him into custody, and he admitted to remembering being trespassed before, but was under the belief the order had expired.

He was trespassed from the Fred Meyer, and law enforcement lodged Chaffee in jail for Second Degree Criminal Trespass. The charge hasn't been filed by the District Attorney's Office according to jail records.

 

Grants Pass Police lodged a wanted man who was out of compliance with a restraining order and in possession of drugs Monday afternoon.

An area check of O'aces was being conducted around 1:11 p.m. when officers observed Thomas Hayes exit a vehicle and enter the building. The vehicle belonged to the protected party of a restraining order against Hayes, and after running him through dispatch, officers found he was wanted on two warrants.

Both were out of the Grants Pass Police Department, and charged Hayes with Contempt of Court and Felony Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was contacted inside the 2482 Williams Highway location and promptly taken into custody.

Officers conducted a consent search of Hayes and located methamphetamine. He was transported to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility and lodged for Meth Possession, Contempt of Court, a Parole Violation Detainer, and his two warrants.

 

Firefighters tackling the Fielder Mountain Fire continue to push mop-up activities deeper into the interior of the blaze, securing the perimeter and increasing containment to 38%. The Oregon Department of Forestry reports evacuations were canceled Monday, and mop-up has reached a depth of more than 100 feet into the fire perimeter across the area. That increases to 300 feet surrounding residences and other structures. Firefighters are using infra-red technology to identify areas of heat which may not be visible on the surface, such as burning roots. Critical weather conditions are expected today with temperatures in the low 90’s, humidity in the teens to mid-20’s, and increased winds with gusts to 15 MPH. Structure assessment determined that, during the initial attack, two outbuildings sustained minor damage and one outbuilding was destroyed.

 

Grants Pass Police received a report of a physical fight involving several people Saturday shortly after 3:30 a.m.

The incident occurred in the 800 block of NE A Street. Officers responded to the area, where it was learned two victims had sustained injuries after being struck with a crowbar and were requesting medical assistance. Detectives were called to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Officers developed probable cause to arrest two Grants Pass residents, Samantha Fillmore, 30, and Jeremy Whelchel, 45. Fillmore was taken into custody without incident, while Whelchel was believed to be hiding in a nearby apartment. Police maintained containment of the apartment until a search warrant was obtained and executed several hours later.

Upon serving the warrant, officers located Whelchel inside the residence and took him into custody. Both suspects were lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Second and Third Degree Assault, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

 

The 911 Dispatch Center received a report Monday around 2:08 p.m. of a fatal vehicle crash in the 2500 block of Coyote Creek Road. First responders arrived and located a single vehicle that had left the roadway and struck a large tree. The driver, identified as Mark Freeland, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The initial investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling outbound on Coyote Creek Road when, for an unknown reason, it left the roadway and collided with the tree. Next of kin has been notified. No further information is available at this time.

 

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit detectives arrested a Medford man yesterday at a business in the 500 block of the Medford Center. The suspect, Evan James Sutherlin, 20, of Medford, is lodged in the Jackson County Jail. He is charged with First-Degree Rape, Third-Degree Sexual Abuse, and First-Degree Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse. The case started June 2nd, 2026, when deputies responded to a report of a then 19-year-old man sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl in the Jacksonville area. From there, SVU detectives took over the investigation leading to his arrest. As SVU detectives continue their investigation, they believe Sutherlin may have more victims. Anyone with information is asked to call SVU Detective Jill Wenzel at 541-770-8928.

 

The Grants Pass City Council moved to keep a list of five comparator cities following a Logic Compensation Group Salary and Compensation Study.

Following a 6-2 vote favoring the motion during the 11:45 a.m. workshop, another motion for council to add an internal equity framework, costing an additional $5,000 failed.

A Blighted Building Code presentation regarding property maintenance and how to address the buildings via a Nuisance Ordinance, Building Codes, or a New Vandalism Grant was held. Staff will come back to council with a workshop scheduled to discuss vacant building regulations, nuisance code increases, and enforcement.

The council moved, per staff recommendation, to refinance the current $510,000 over the course of the next eight years for Police Headquarters. The motion passed 5-3. During a Meeting Agenda Discussion, the topic of Invocation at meetings was tabled for further discussion.

Public Comment at meetings will be left as is, while the Public Comment Advisory language will be tweaked for consistency. Matters from Mayor, Council, and Staff will be placed before the consent agenda.

 

A woman lying on the railroad tracks was arrested for trespassing by Grants Pass Police

Sunday at 7:52 p.m., two calls to dispatch reported the suspect was awake after having been asleep on the tracks at 201 NW F Street. One caller was told by the woman that she was going to move soon. She had a trash bag around her and soon began walking and stumbling away.

Police contacted her at the Grasshopper lot and given a downtown exclusion. She was identified as Brooke Mack, and taken into custody for Second Degree Trespass after admitting to being excluded from the downtown area August 11th. She was lodged in the Adult Jail Facility, and jail logs show her charge has not been filed by the District Attorney.