Local News

Two shoplifting suspects were apprehended by Grants Pass Police Saturday, one from Walmart, and one from WinCo.

Dispatch was notified around 9:54 a.m. that Walmart Loss Prevention had detained a man after he stole about $121 worth of merchandise. He had passed all points of sale without paying before getting caught.

He was cooperative with staff, and upon arrival, officers took Williams into custody for charges of First Degree Trespass and Second Degree Theft. He was lodged in jail, and trespassed from the 135 NE Terry Lane store.

That evening, around 6:46 p.m., an employee of WinCo called 911 to report loss prevention had detained a male shoplifter who was heard yelling in the background of the call.

Police arrived and learned the suspect, Daniel Hall, had grabbed $3 worth of lemonade drinks before exiting the 231 NE Terry Lane grocer through the main doors, passing all points of sale. Loss prevention stopped and confronted Hall, who then became combative before being detained.

Officers took him into custody and, during a consent search, located inside his backpack a glass pipe with a burnt white residue. Following a positive field test for methamphetamine, Hall was transported to the Josephine County Jail. He was lodged for Third Degree Theft, and Possession of Meth.

 

Grants Pass Police lodged three suspects wanted on out-of-county warrants over the weekend.

Saturday at 12:55 p.m., an officer observed and recognized Christopher Lokken walking westbound on NW A Street near City Hall. His information was run through dispatch and he was found to be wanted on a valid and serviceable out of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

Lokken had been charged with a Burning Offense, and following confirmation of the warrant, he was taken into custody. Law enforcement transported him to the Josephine County Jail for lodging.

That same day at 6:54 p.m., a man was reported to dispatch after he ran out of Fred Meyer attempting to steal about $50 worth of merchandise. He continued towards the nearby Abby's Pizza parking lot, and staff requested to pursue theft and trespass charges.

Officers contacted the suspect, identified as Michael Kachmer, and found he was wanted on three warrants: two out of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for Second Degree Criminal Trespass and Failure to Appear, and a Medford Police Department warrant for Third Degree Theft.

Kachmer was subsequently lodged in jail on his warrants and an additional charge of Third Degree Theft.

Officers then responded Sunday morning around 1:35 a.m. when Travis Ramsey reportedly called 911 accidentally. He confirmed his location in the 700 block of SW 5th Street and told dispatch he called 911 while he was sleeping.

Upon arrival, law enforcement contacted Ramsey, finding him to be wanted on an active and serviceable warrant out of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office for Second Degree Trespass. He was taken into custody, and transported to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility where he was lodged.

 

The Josephine County Board of Commissioners will take part in KAJO's Tuesday Talk Show, meet with City Council members, and convene for a County Workshop Tuesday. Following the 9:30 a.m. radio interview, the board will meet with City Council at 11 a.m. in the BCC Conference Room. First on the agenda is the 6th and 7th Street Banner Approval Process, followed by collaboration for the 250th 4th of July Celebration. A general discussion regarding city and county properties will follow, then pending other subject matters, the meeting will adjourn. Later that day at 1:30 p.m., the board will reconvene in the conference room for their workshop, starting with the presentation of an Adult Jail and Juvenile Detention Levy from the Sheriff's Department. Recreation will present a grant agreement for Horse Racing, then the board will consider Union Negotiations Authorization and Criteria. Next on the agenda is the Silverbrook Phase 2 Plat Map Subdivision, the proposed removal of Murphy Dam on the Applegate River, and a rental application for the Anne G. Basker Auditorium.

 

Emergency crews were dispatched Saturday to a traffic accident in Cave Junction.

The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, and Oregon State Police troopers were dispatched to the 14 mile post of Caves Highway around 12:50 a.m.

Responders located a single vehicle that had entered a ditch. The lone occupant had self-extricated and was evaluated at the scene for injuries. OSP conducted the investigation.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office lodged a man wanted on an out-of-county warrant Thursday.

Deputies detained one suspect in the 7500 block of Redwood Highway with, according to the police report, a stolen vehicle around 9:13 a.m. After positively identifying the suspect as Jerry Parker, law enforcement learned he was wanted on a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office warrant.

Parker had a charge of Methamphetamine Possession against him, so he was transported to the Josephine County Jail. The registered owner of the vehicle was contacted and would retrieve the vehicle.

Deputies lodged Parker for the misdemeanor warrant, and he was conditionally released by 10:49 p.m.

 

A man yelling outside the River City Grill was apprehended by Grants Pass Police officers early this morning.

A call to 911 reported the disruptive suspect near the street by the 150 SE K Street business at 3:48 a.m. The caller said she was afraid to close up and walk out to her car. She told dispatch the suspect seemed angry, was talking out loud, and had items laid out on the premises. No weapons were seen.

Staff wished to pursue a trespass charge, and officers arrived, contacting the suspect, George Williams, outside the restaurant. He had been warned for trespassing at the location back on May 28th, and he was detained on a Second Degree Trespass charge. Officers took him into custody and transported him to jail for lodging.

 

A man was arrested by Grants Pass Police in Resting Site 7 after he was found passed out in his tent.

Officers located the suspect inside the 712 NE 7th Street site. He was laying in his tent with a methamphetamine pipe next to him. Law enforcement took him into custody and identified him as Christopher Davis.

While being detained, he was found to be in possession of what was suspected to be ketamine. Officers transported Davis to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility to be lodged for a parole violation detainer and a charge of Meth Possession.

He was also trespassed from the Motel 6 from a separate case, and the suspected ketamine was sent to the lab for confirmation.

 

Law enforcement arrested a man wanted on Grants Pass Police Department warrants after recognizing him outside the Josephine County Courthouse.

An officer with the police department recognized Steven Juergensen near 500 NW 6th Street around 12:49 p.m., and contacted him in the nearby church parking lot. He was wanted on two warrants charging him with Second and Third Degree Theft, as well as a Methamphetamine Possession charge.

Juergensen's identity was confirmed, and the officer took him into custody. He was then transported to the Josephine County Jail for his warrants.

 

A two-vehicle traffic accident occurred Thursday in Selma, leading to a response from emergency crews.

The Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, and the Oregon State Police were dispatched to the intersection of Redwood Highway and Turnagain Drive at 5:09 p.m.

Two individuals at the scene had sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were subsequently transported by AMR. Both vehicles were towed from the scene, and OSP troopers conducted the investigation into the incident.