KLDR - Local News

OSP Detectives Jailed Local Man for 20 Felony Sex Crimes involving Juveniles

The Oregon State Police has jailed a local man for a total of 20 felony-level sex crimes involving juvenile victims. Josephine County Jail records show OSP detectives arrested 42-year-old Timothy James Conway and booked him into the detention facility at 8:19 a.m. today. According to OSP, Conway is charged with 10 counts each of Encouraging Child Sex Abuse in the First Degree and Encouraging Child Sex Abuse in the Second Degree. He is being held without bail. No details of the investigation that led to Conway's arrest have been released. Conway is scheduled to be arraigned in Josephine County Circuit Court on Monday afternoon.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:32AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Arrested Kerby Man for Violating Restraining Order Protecting Spouse

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a Kerby man for violating a court order protecting his wife late yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 38-year-old Shayla Bee Sandau for the incident in the 600-block of Glendon Road on Thursday at 6:18 p.m.. Sandau is also known as "Ronald Leonard Sandau." Deputies said Sandau was released from custody earlier in the day after he was arrested for a related incident on Wednesday. He reportedly chased his wife to Redwood Highway where a motorist stopped, intervened and tried to give her a ride. He prevented the woman from entering the vehicle, grabbed the keys out of the ignition and threw them across the highway into a field. Sandau's wife obtained a legal restraining order against her husband shortly after his arrest. He was placed into custody when he returned to their residence. When he refused to stop banging his head on the glass in the patrol vehicle, deputies were forced to place him in a protective body wrap. Sandau was transported to Grants Pass and booked into the Josephine County Jail for Contempt of Court/Restraining Order Violation. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:30AM by Sam Marsh

Grants Pass Police Nabbed Motorist for Leading Them on Vehicle & Foot Chases

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for leading them on two pursuits yesterday -- one in a vehicle and the other on foot. The Police Department reports the first incident occurred at 10:17 a.m. Thursday when they tried to pull over a red sedan driven by 44-year-old Raul Oscar Ortiz near the corner of NE Fairview and Agness avenues. Police said Ortiz was slumped over in a vehicle with an expired registration. They said he evaded them in a pursuit with lights and sirens activated. The pursuit was quickly terminated due to public safety concerns. Later in the day, officers spotted the suspect vehicle near Joe's Bar & Grill in the Grants Pass Shopping Center. Ortiz ran out the back door of the bar and led law enforcement on a foot pursuit that ended in the parking lot of Home Depot. He admitted to fleeing because his license was suspended and a court-ordered ignition interlock device had not been installed on his car. Ortiz was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:29AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Man for Warrant & Drug Possession in Suspicious Activity Call

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on a local warrant and for drug possession early yesterday after receiving a report of suspicious activity in a downtown alleyway. According to the Police Department, officers responded to the incident in the alley near Cash Connection in the 700-block of SW 6th Street on Thursday at 7:51 a.m.. Police said the store manager called 9-1-1 to report three people -- including 32-year-old Dakota Alan Ree -- possibly doing drugs in the alley not far from Gates Home Furnishings. Responding officers contacted Ree and found him to be in possession of several drug paraphernalia items that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. He was also found to be wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and 3rd-Degree Theft. Ree was lodged in jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:28AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman for Old & New Theft Crimes in Fred Meyer Caper

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on three outstanding warrants after she was caught stealing from Fred Meyer last night. The Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on the Grants Pass Parkway on Thursday around 8:35 p.m.. Police said 37-year-old Fawn Marie Cromwell admitted to stealing $48 worth of Fred Meyer merchandise by walking past all points of sale without paying. When confronted by loss prevention, she dropped the items and fled on foot. She was tracked down and placed into custody a short time later. During a routine records check, officers discovered Cromwell was wanted on three Marion County warrants -- all for failing to appear in court for Petty Theft. Cromwell was lodged in jail on the warrant plus a new charge of 3rd-Degree Theft. She was being held without bail. She and her male companion -- identified by GPPD as "Demetrius Hughes" -- were trespassed from Fred Meyer.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:26AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Man for Fentanyl Possession after Fred Meyer Traffic Stop

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for drug possession early this morning after a traffic stop at Fred Meyer. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a vehicle driven by 40-year-old Evan Machiel Logan in the store parking lot off the Grants Pass Parkway at 2:35 a.m. today. Police said they stopped Logan for traffic violations and he displayed indicators of impairment by narcotics. They said the suspect did not have a driver's license on him, and a consent search uncovered smoking devices and tin foil that contained fentanyl residue. Logan was determined not to be impaired, but he was lodged in jail for Fentanyl Possession. His vehicle was impounded as a hazard because it was parked near a fire hydrant on the sidewalk.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:25AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Evicted GP Men Camping at Applegate River Access off Highway 238

The Oregon State Police evicted two Grants Pass men who were camping at an Applegate River access spot off Williams Highway this week. OSP reports troopers located an illegal camp at the Highway 238 turnout near milepost 8 on Wednesday afternoon. Troopers said a motorhome and Dodge pickup were at that location, and the vehicle owners were contacted. The 43-year-old and 34-year-old Grants Pass men admitted knowing they should not be camping at that location. They said they had been there for a few days because the RV had broken down and they were waiting for a part to be delivered. According to OSP, the men recently had been evicted from their home and a child who was with them was living in a "rough situation." They were ordered to clean up their impromptu camp and warned that their vehicles could be towed away.

Posted on 6/13/25 11:23AM by Sam Marsh

Authorities Seek Public Assistance in Finding Man Not Heard from in 18 Months

UPDATE 6/13/2025: ERIK HAS BEEN LOCATED SAFELY.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office is seeking public assistance in locating a man whose family has not heard from in 18 months. Sheriff's officials said 38-year-old Erik Grant Mitchell's family has not had any contact with him since January 2024. At the time, Mitchell was living in the Grants Pass area and may have been staying with friends. Family members said Mitchell had made comments about moving out of state, possibly to Texas or Arizona. It is unknown where he may have gone, what he drives or who he may be with. Mitchell is described as a white male adult, 5-feet-10-inches tall and 185 pounds. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Erik Mitchell is encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Office at (541)-474-5123.

Posted on 6/13/25 6:43AM by Sam Marsh

Ashland Police Arrested Suspect for Intentionally Hitting Person in Wheelchair

The Ashland Police Department has arrested a felony assault suspect accused of intentionally running down a person in a motorized wheelchair and then fleeing. Detectives from APD's Criminal Investigations Division located and arrested 22-year-old Lola Jackson of Ashland on Thursday. She was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on felony charges of 2nd-Degree Assault, Vehicular Assault of a Pedestrian, Hit-and-Run, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Reckless Driving. APD Chief Tighe O'Meara said Jackson's arrest stems from an incident on June 7th at 1:30 a.m. near 615 Clay Street. He said a person in a motorized wheelchair was deliberately struck by a vehicle driven by the female suspect. The unidentified victim was thrown from the wheelchair and hurt. The victim was transported by Ashland Fire-Rescue to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Jackson fled the scene prior to officers' arrival and an "attempt to locate" was issued for the suspect. APD officers remained diligent in locating the suspect, leading to her arrest at a residence on Phelps Street in Ashland.

Posted on 6/13/25 6:42AM by Sam Marsh

Deputies Jailed Man for Causing Disturbance by Chasing Woman in Kerby Area

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office jailed a man for causing a disturbance in the Kerby area this week. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies arrested 38-year-old Shayla Bee Sandau for the incident on Redwood Highway at Glendon Road on Wednesday afternoon. Deputies said they were alerted to a male subject chasing a female down the road while she was screaming for help. The woman informed dispatchers that she was trying to leave her house when Sandau grabbed her to stop her from leaving. She said she was in fear of being assaulted, so she ran toward the highway where a motorist stopped, intervened and attempted to give her a ride. Sandau reportedly prevented the woman from entering the vehicle, grabbed the keys out of the ignition and threw them across the highway into a field. The driver was unable to find the keys, which they valued at more than $100. Upon arrival, deputies interviewed the involved parties and placed Sandau into custody. He was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Coercion, Harassment, Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle and 2nd-Degree Theft. He was being held without bail.

Posted on 6/13/25 6:41AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Snared Woman for State Warrant & Drug Possession at Courthouse

Grants Pass Police apprehended a woman on a statewide felony warrant and added a narcotics charge to her criminal bill early yesterday. The Police Department reports officers arrested 39-year-old Crystil Marie Ann York on the north side of the Josephine County Courthouse on Thursday around 4:15 a.m.. Police said York was reported to be trying doors and looking in windows at the Crest Motel on NE 6th Street. When officers contacted York, she provided her sister's name, but was positively identified and found to be wanted on an Oregon state warrant for Felony Parole Violation related to an undisclosed conviction. During a consent search, York was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. York complained of illness, so she was transported to Three Rivers Medical Center for an evaluation. After being cleared at the hospital, she was lodged at the adult jail facility on the warrant plus a new charge of Meth Possession. She was being held on a no-bail detainer.

Posted on 6/13/25 6:39AM by Sam Marsh