Local News

A man attempting to enter a vehicle was arrested by Grants Pass Police officers for two warrants.

At 6:54 a.m. Thursday, a call to 911 reported suspicious activity that occurred 10 minutes prior. The caller said it looked like someone was breaking into a red or orange Hummer and taking its bike rack on a property in the 800 block of SE 8th Street.

The suspect was reportedly wearing a headlamp and carrying a tote with bags and cans. The Hummer's passenger side door was open and it looked like the suspect was trying to reach the back of the vehicle.

Officers arrived, identified the suspect as William Jensen, and confirmed he had lawful access to the vehicle. He was, however, wanted on two warrants out of the Police Department.

Jensen was arrested for his warrants charging him with Possession of Methamphetamine. Officers transported him to the Josephine County Jail for his warrants. He was lodged, but later had to be released due to a lack of resources.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man wanted on two warrants at Resting Site 7.

On Thursday around 11:25 a.m., officers spotted Ely B. Smith walking past the police department wearing tan pants and a black T-Shirt. He was making his way towards the 712 NE 7th Street site.

Law enforcement tracked him down to the site and positively identified him. Smith was wanted on two police department warrants, one for First Degree Criminal Trespass, and the other for Second Degree Disorderly Conduct.

Smith's warrants were cleared, and he was subsequently transported to the Josephine County Adult Jail Facility for his warrants.

 

On March 18th, an Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) member leader filed a class action lawsuit against Asante for wage theft and violating Oregon law. According to a release, Asante is accused of multiple illegal accounting practices including manipulating workers’ timecards, making unauthorized wage deductions, time rounding, refusing to pay workers’ earned differentials, refusing to pay missed meals and breaks, and failure to pay workers’ wages on time. Nurses are suing to stop Asante’s alleged illegal accounting practices, recover lost wages owed to healthcare workers, and ensure a fair and accurate accounting of all workers’ hours and pay. Class counsel estimates 6,000 hourly workers have been victims of Asante’s wage theft since 2020, including nearly 5,000 current employees. Plaintiffs estimate Asante owes workers $500,000 in unpaid wages. Asante is facing an additional $2 million in statutory penalties and damages plus interest and court costs. The ONA represents more than 1450 registered nurses and technical workers at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford.

 

A woman was arrested by Grants Pass Police after she stole merchandise from Ulta Beauty Thursday afternoon.

Officers learned the suspect ran out of the 925 NE D Street store with over $430 worth of products around 4:09 p.m. She left the scene on a black bike, and one 911 caller said they were following the suspect.

It was reported the suspect arrived at the nearby Pinnacle 365 and went inside, leaving the bike outside the front door. Officers were able to locate the suspect, identified as Shayla Earnest, and found her in possession of the stolen items.

She was arrested by law enforcement and taken to the Josephine County Jail for Second Degree Theft. Earnest's bike was entered into safekeeping, and she was trespassed from Ulta Beauty.

 

A man was arrested on two warrants and an additional Meth Possession charge by Grants Pass Police.

Officers contacted the suspect, later identified as Christopher Davis, at the corner of SW 5th Street and SW K Street Wednesday at 10:09 p.m. According to the report, he advised law enforcement that he "might know where Cody is," and that he just saw Cody around K and Pine Streets.

Officers determined Davis was displaying multiple indicators of impairment consistent with the use of a stimulant. They also observed a cylindrical glass pipe fall out of Davis's pocket.

Despite initially providing law enforcement with a false name, Davis was positively identified and found to have two warrants charging him with Possession of Methamphetamine. He was taken into custody, then transported and lodged in jail for his two warrants and Meth Possession charge.

 

A woman was arrested in her tent at Resting Site 6 South after being contacted by Grants Pass Police.

On Wednesday around 12:57 p.m., an officer detained Carly Jensen after she was contacted at the 704 NW 6th Street site. The officer knew her by sight and that she had a warrant for Possession of Methamphetamine.

Jensen, after being contacted in her tent, knew she was wanted and was cooperative. Her warrant advised law enforcement not to cite and release her, nor release due to overcrowding at the jail.

The officer took Jensen into custody. She was transported to the Adult Jail Facility and was lodged on her Police Department warrant.

 

Josephine County Sheriff's deputies were alerted to two restraining order violations Wednesday.

At 10:36 a.m., a 911 call reported someone's daughter, who was the respondent in a restraining order, was sitting outside the gate of a property in the 200 block of Hessar Street.

Dispatch was told the daughter didn't have any weapons and wasn't acting violently. The caller needed to leave the scene, but knew that if they did, the daughter would try to come into the property.

Deputies arrived and took the daughter into custody, lodging her in the Josephine County Jail for the Restraining Order Violation.

Then at 1:57 p.m., a call to 911 reported someone's ex was at a property in the 5300 block of Tunnel Loop Road.

The caller said they received a "safe word" text from a friend whose ex was yelling and refusing to leave the residence. Dispatch was told there was a history of domestic violence between the suspect and his ex-girlfriend, and that she had a restraining order against him.

The caller reported there hadn't been any contact between the two, and that the doors and windows were locked. The suspect had left the scene and was heading towards Hugo when he was detained. Deputies took him into custody for the Restraining Order Violation, and subsequently lodged him in jail.

 

Grants Pass Police officers arrested two suspects wanted on warrants in Resting Site 6 North Wednesday.

At 10:34 a.m., law enforcement contacted a man at the 714 NW 6th Street site. He was believed to be Tyronne Cashatt at first, and even responded to being called Tyronne.

Once he was detained, the officer recognized him as Jequis Porter, who had a Washington County Sheriff's Office warrant out for his arrest. The warrant charged him with Unlawful Possession, Manufacture and Delivery of a Schedule II Controlled Substance.

After positively identifying Porter, officers took him into custody for his warrant. While he was being arrested, an assisting officer observed Bobbie Jo Langdon in the site around 10:44 a.m.

She was known by the officer to have active warrants out of the Police Department for her arrest. Law enforcement ran her information through dispatch, confirming the valid and serviceable warrants.

Langdon was wanted for Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and Second Degree Trespassing, and she was promptly taken into custody. Both Langdon and Porter were transported to the Josephine County Jail and lodged on their warrants.

 

Oregon State Police made arrests in two vehicle-related incidents both Wednesday and early this morning.

At 8:33 last night, troopers were notified of a stolen vehicle in Josephine County. The gray Chevy Impala was soon located on Interstate 5 at milepost 57. After conducting a traffic stop, troopers contacted the driver, Richard Tagen, 36, of Lebanon.

He was taken into custody and transported to Three Rivers Medical Center. After receiving medical clearance, Tagen was lodged in the Josephine County Jail for Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle.

Then, this morning at 12:37, troopers pulled over a vehicle at State Route 260 and Marcy Loop Road. The driver, Jeptha Stricklin, 32, of Wilderville, was found to have an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest.

Stricklin was taken into custody without incident and lodged in jail. His vehicle was released to a family member.