Local News

The Oregon State Police arrested a Salem man for possessing a large amount of illegal marijuana during a weekend traffic stop in the Illinois Valley. According to OSP, troopers stopped for a Chevrolet Colorado driven by a 43-year-old man on Takilma Road on Saturday during the noon hour. Troopers said the pickup was parked on the shoulder of Takilma Road and probable cause was developed that a criminal amount of marijuana was being transported by the vehicle's driver. The driver gave consent to search the truck and approximately 200 pounds of marijuana was seized for destruction. The suspect was charged with Felony Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. He was cited to appear in Josephine County Circuit Court and released. His pickup was impounded. The suspect's passenger was identified as a 23-year-old Cave Junction man. He was detained, but not arrested.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested two people for trying to steal merchandise from south-city retailers in separate incidents yesterday. According to the Police Department, the first incident occurred on Monday at 11:23 a.m. when officers were alerted to a shoplifting incident at the Rite Aid in the Williams Highway Plaza. Police said a 32-year-old woman concealed $42 worth of merchandise in the front pocket of her jacket and walked past all points of sale without making any attempt to pay. She was placed into custody in the store parking lot and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft. The second incident happened on Monday at 2:25 p.m. when officers responded to a shoplifting call at Bi-Mart. Police said a 37-year-old man concealed $30 worth of 9-millimeter ammunition and passed all points of sale without making any attempt to pay. They searched the area and found the suspect on the west side of Riverside Park. He was placed into custody and lodged in jail for 3rd-Degree Theft. The suspects were trespassed from Rite Aid and Bi-Mart, respectively.

 

The Oregon Department of Forestry was investigating the cause of a vegetation fire that broke out last night near Pomeroy Dam in the Illinois Valley. ODF and the Illinois Valley Fire District responded to the reported fire between two US Forest Service roads off West Side Road on Monday at 10:38 p.m.. Arriving units found a 2/10th of an acre blaze burning in blackberries and brush. ODF and IVFD crews mounted an aggressive attack and limited the fire to around a half-acre. An IVFD water tender remained on scene to assist ODF with mopping up the fire. The scene was eventually turned over to ODF for an investigation.

 

Firefighters were able to keep a vehicle fire from spreading into the surrounding wildland off Interstate 5 in the Hugo area early yesterday. Rural Metro Fire Department and the Oregon Department of Forestry responded to the reported blaze near milepost 68 of I-5 on Mount Sexton at 10:23 a.m. Monday. Rural Metro and ODF were both called in due to the high potential for spread into nearby vegetation. An ODF engine arrived first and was able to keep the fire in-check and away from the brush and trees on the side of the freeway. Rural Metro officials said there were no injuries reported, but the vehicle was destroyed by the fire. The cause was believed to be mechanical.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department has released more information about the fatal shooting that happened last weekend at an apartment complex off Rogue River Highway. On Friday at about 9:20 p.m., the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Communications Center received multiple calls about a shooting that had just occurred in the 1400-block of Highway 99. A male victim was down in the parking lot of the apartment complex. GP police officers responded to the scene along with the Oregon State Police and Josephine County Sheriff's Office. Upon arrival, law enforcement personnel found and provided immediate medical care to a male gunshot victim. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response also provided medical care, but the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. GPPD detectives took over the investigation and identified the deceased as 24-year-old Jose Regalado of Grants Pass. The initial investigation was supported by the OSP Major Crimes Team, Josephine County District Attorney's Office and Josephine County Medical Examiner. GPPD Captain Justin DeKruger said this remains an active investigation and they are requesting anyone with information or video to call the agency at (541)-450-6260 and reference Case #2024-26283.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a man for attacking his long-time girlfriend at a home near Riverside Park. The Police Department reports officers arrested the 53-year-old male subject for the incident that occurred at a residence on SE Vista Drive late Sunday night. He was placed into custody at 2:15 a.m. yesterday. Police said they were alerted to the domestic violence incident by Three Rivers Medical Center when the female victim drove herself to the hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the altercation. They said the couple has been in a romantic relationship for about 23 years. The victim told officers her boyfriend's physical violence against her had increased since last Thursday. She said the man grabbed a bath towel which he used to choke her and leave visible bruising on her neck. She was in fear for her life and believed he was going to kill her. According to the report, the boyfriend was located and placed into custody at the couple's home. He was forthcoming and admitted to all reported incidents. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 2nd-Degree Domestic Assault, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Domestic Strangulation and Domestic Menacing. He was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for physically assaulting his girlfriend at a home in the southeast part of the city last weekend. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the domestic violence incident at a property on Cloverlawn Drive on Sunday around 11:30 a.m.. Police said a 32-year-old male subject was reported to have physically assaulted his girlfriend at the incident location inside his father's trailer. Units arrived on scene and removed the female victim to a safe location. The subject initially refused to exit the trailer, advised he would not go to jail and stated that officers would have to shoot him. After several minutes speaking with the subject, officers said he complied and exited the trailer. He was detained during the investigation which revealed that he slammed his girlfriend against a couch and the floor while telling her he was going to kill her. The woman sustained injuries and said she was in fear for her life. According to the report, the suspect intentionally destroyed his father's trailer by damaging both doors and a table inside valued at more than $5,000. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for five counts of Domestic Strangulation plus single counts of 4th-Degree Domestic Assault, Domestic Menacing and Felony Criminal Mischief. He was being held without bail.

 

Five occupants of a pickup self-extricated and escaped with only minor injuries after the vehicle rolled over in southeast Grants Pass. Rural Metro Fire Department, American Medical Response and the Josephine County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the single-vehicle crash in the 4,000-block of Cloverlawn Drive on Monday at 4:01 p.m.. Rural Metro officials said the wreck occurred after the driver failed to negotiate a curve near Malone Way and sheared off a power pole. The Sheriff's Office decided to shut down the road until the stability of the pole could be determined and high voltage lines could be turned off by Pacific Power. An off-duty nurse happened to be nearby at the time of the crash and was able to administer first aid to the occupants as well as provide an assessment summary of injuries to rescue crews upon their arrival. Damage to the utility pole resulted in a power outage for many residences on the affected grid. The Sheriff's Office reports the teen driver of the pickup was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, four counts of Reckless Endangering and 2nd-Degree Criminal Mischief. The wrecked pickup was impounded.

 

A motorcyclist was injured yesterday in a crash near Selma. On Monday at 12:25 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District and American Medical Response were dispatched to the single-vehicle wreck in the 3200-block of Lakeshore Drive. IVFD officials provided few details about the crash, but they said the operator was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass with unspecified injuries. Travel lanes on Lakeshore Drive were reopened after the motorcycle was cleared and towed to Cave Junction.