CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT
Abandoned vehicle
• An abandoned motorhome was reported in the 2000 block of Borst Avenue just after 8:35 a.m. on Sept. 8. The owner was warned about camping in the park and later moved the motorhome.
Juvenile problem
• A juvenile girl reportedly left a school campus in the 900 block of Johnson Road just after 8:50 a.m. on Sept. 8 and refused to return. She was later reported as a runaway and officers searched the area for her.
Traffic problem
• At 9:10 a.m. on Sept. 8, several semi-truck drivers were warned for parking along the roadway in the 4000 block of Galvin Road, where truck parking is not allowed.
Drug violations
• While investigating a suspicious vehicle in a park in the 2000 block of Borst Avenue just after 10:50 a.m. on Sept. 8, an officer contacted a male who had suspected illegal drugs on his person. He was referred to Centralia Municipal Court for drug charges.
• A 38-year-old homeless man from Centralia was referred to a local prosecutor’s office for possession of meth after officers contacted him at the intersection of West Main and North King streets on an allegation he “exposed himself to the public.”
Burglary
• A 49-year-old man from Salem, Oregon, was arrested in the 500 block of South Tower Avenue just after noon on Sept. 8 and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree burglary after he allegedly returned to a business he was trespassed from and stole items.
• An apparent attempted burglary was reported in the 200 block of West Hanson Street at 6:50 a.m. after a resident discovered their door was damaged.
Retail theft
• Just after 2:25 p.m. on Sept. 9, a customer at a store in the 140 block of West High Street reported “a theft of several items from the store by a Hispanic-looking male wearing black and carrying several mesh bags.” Officers were not able to locate the male.
• A bottle of Pepsi was reported stolen from a store in the 500 block of South Tower Avenue just after 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 9.
• Just after 5:10 p.m. on Sept. 9, a customer at a store in the 140 block of West High Street reported an adult male stole items from a store. When officers arrived on scene, they observed the suspect driving in the parking lot in an orange Ford Edge. The suspect began to drive recklessly and flee on High Street to Harrison Avenue. Officers activated their lights to try and stop the suspect for his erratic driving, but officers did not pursue the suspect following Washington state law requirements.
• At 1:05 p.m. on Sept. 10, a man “described as Samoan and driving a black four-door Dodge with a yellow stripe” reportedly fled the 1400 block of Lum Road after running out of a store with over $1,000 worth of jewelry.
Vehicle theft
• Just after 5:35 p.m. on Sept. 8, a 34-year-old Portland man who was already in custody at the Lewis County Jail after another agency pursued and arrested him in the 1300 block of Lum Road was charged with vehicle theft. “The vehicle was recovered prior to the owner knowing it was missing and (the owner) had not reported it as stolen,” according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Just after 6:50 a.m. on Sept. 9, officers recovered a vehicle reported stolen out of Oregon near the gas pumps of a business in the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue. Officers had received an alert from the FLOCK safety cameras that the stolen vehicle was in the area of Harrison and Belmont Avenues. The male was located in the driver’s seat and detained for investigation. The male was released for medical treatment of an injury sustained a few days before contact with police, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Just before 7:35 p.m. on Sept. 9, a 2008 silver Chevrolet pickup with the Washington license plate C40511M was reported stolen from the 700 block of South Silver Street sometime overnight. “The owner believes a person who had been at the residence may have taken the keys and stole the truck,” according to the Centralia Police Department. The case is under investigation.
Other theft
• Gutter downspouts were reported stolen from the 200 block of West Center Street just after 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 8. The suspect, described as “a Black male, approximately 30-40 years old, shaved head and medium build,” fled the scene in a gray 2000s Chevrolet truck.
• A Hawaiian purse and diamond earrings were reported stolen from the front porch of a residence in the 1000 block of E Street just after 9:45 p.m. on Sept. 8.
• A 28-year-old Winlock man was cited for stealing alcohol off of a porch in the 700 block of West Main Street just after 4:40 p.m. on Sept. 10.
Vehicle accidents
• Minor injuries were reported following a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of East Summa Street and Centralia Avenue just before 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 8. One vehicle reportedly failed to yield right-of-way to another vehicle, causing the crash.
• A 20-year-old Chehalis man was issued a citation for driving without a valid license after he was involved in a non-injury collision with another vehicle at the intersection of West Main and North Pearl streets just after 9:15 a.m. on Sept. 9.
• A minivan reportedly failed to yield right-of-way at the intersection of South Silver and West Pear streets just after 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 9 and collided with the side of a passenger bus. The minivan’s driver was issued infractions for failure to yield right-of-way and driving without insurance. Injuries were reported, but the Centralia Police Department did not disclose information about who was injured in the crash or the extent of their injuries.
• A bicyclist sustained minor injuries after a van making a turn at the intersection of East Maple Street and North Tower Avenue struck the bicyclist, who was riding on the sidewalk, just after 8:45 p.m. on Sept. 9.
DUI
• Brandon Z. Womac, 33 of Centralia, was arrested in the 1800 block of Airport Road just before 9:35 p.m. on Sept. 9 and was booked into the Lewis County Jail after officers contacted him and determined he was under the influence of intoxicants while operating a motor vehicle. Womac reportedly drove over the center lines and struck a guardrail on the Mellen Street overpass, according to witnesses. Officers located Womac and his vehicle in a carport parking area after being directed there by the witness, according to the Centralia Police Department.
Assault
• A 23-year-old Toledo woman was arrested in the 1200 block of Lum Road at 1:50 a.m. on Sept. 9 and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for fourth-degree assault, domestic violence.
A man is under investigation for fourth-degree assault for allegedly entering a business in the 300 block of North Tower Avenue and “touching a female employee inappropriately” just after 2:40 p.m. on Sept. 10.
Criminal trespass
• A 61-year-old homeless man from Centralia was trespassed from a property in the 1100 block of West Reynolds Avenue at the property owner’s request after he was reportedly seen “rummaging around looking for items.”
Unlawful imprisonment
• A 39-year-old Centralia man was arrested in the 1500 block of Maple Valley Drive just after 9:35 p.m. on Sept. 10 and was booked into the Lewis County Jail for unlawful imprisonment after he allegedly assaulted his spouse and did not allow her to leave a bedroom.
LEWIS COUNTY JAIL STATISTICS
As of Monday morning, the Lewis County Jail had a total system population of 144 inmates, including 130 in the general population and 14 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center (WERC). Of general population inmates, 100 were reported male and 30 were reported female. Of the WERC inmates, 12 were reported male and two were reported female.
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Sirens are compiled by reporter Emily Fitzgerald, who can be reached at emily@chronline.com. The Centralia Police Department can be reached at 360-330-7680, the Chehalis Police Department can be reached at 360-748-8605 and the Morton Police Department can be reached at 360-496-6636. If you were a victim of physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence or sexual assault, call Hope Alliance at 360-748-6601 or the Youth Advocacy Center of Lewis County at 360-623-1990.
