KLDR - Local News

Deputies Snared Man for Multiple Crimes after Strange Incident West of Selma

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a man for multiple crimes after a strange incident on Illinois River Road west of Selma last night. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies contacted and arrested 55-year-old John Christopher Latch on Illinois River Road below the Six Mile Campground on Monday at 8:51 p.m.. Deputies said dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call from two women who reported a male subject with a red suitcase and a sleeping mat lying in the middle of Illinois River Road. The man had been there for several hours and he refused to speak to one woman who asked if he was okay. Upon arrival, deputies discovered Latch was wanted on warrants out of the state of Washington -- but authorities there said the warrants were not extraditable. It was also learned that the subject had been flagged as hostile and was known to carry a baseball bat and razors. None of those weapons were found, but the subject was uncooperative and struggled with deputies as they placed him into custody. Latch refused to wear a seatbelt as he was transported to Grants Pass. He was lodged without bail at the Josephine County Jail for three counts of Felony Aggravated Harassment and one count of Disorderly Conduct. Aggravated Harassment usually indicates that a suspect spit on law enforcement.

Posted on 10/8/24 11:20AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Nabbed Felon for Warrant & Weapon Crime after Camping Complaint

Grants Pass Police arrested a local felon on an outstanding warrant and for a weapon crime yesterday while investigating an illegal camping complaint on the east side of the city. The Police Department reports officers contacted and arrested 44-year-old Donn Reeves Fincher on NE Fairview Avenue on Monday at 10:54 a.m.. Police said they received multiple calls about a man and woman who were staying in a green tent in the middle of the sidewalk along Fairview. They contacted both and discovered that Fincher was wanted on a Grants Pass warrant for failing to appear in court for Methamphetamine Possession. The woman was not identified. During a consent search, Fincher was found to be in possession of a spring-assisted knife which was seized as evidence. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing any type of weapon. Fincher was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant plus a new charge of Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon. His tent and personal belongings were logged into evidence for safekeeping.

Posted on 10/8/24 11:19AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Arrested Kerby Woman Wanted on Felony Warrant after RR Highway Stop

The Oregon State Police arrested a Kerby woman on a local felony warrant after a weekend traffic stop on Rogue River Highway in Grants Pass. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Toyota Corolla driven by 24-year-old Chamey Cherell Nelson near milepost 1 of Highway 99 on Sunday at 11:48 a.m.. Troopers said they stopped the Toyota because it was associated with a known wanted person. Nelson was wanted on a Josephine County felony warrant for Unlawful Use of a Weapon and 1st-Degree Burglary. Once the warrant and Nelson's identity were confirmed, she was taken into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on $100,000 bail. Her vehicle was released to a family member at the scene of the traffic stop.

Posted on 10/8/24 11:18AM by Sam Marsh

OSP Snared Astoria Woman for Causing Traffic Issues near Freeway Rest Area

The Oregon State Police arrested an Astoria woman for causing a weekend traffic problem on northbound Interstate 5 near the Manzanita Rest Area. According to OSP, troopers responded to the disturbance on I-5 in the North Valley area on Saturday at 11:38 p.m.. Troopers said they received multiple calls about a female subject interfering with passing motorists on the freeway by running at vehicles from the shoulder. They said it was fortunate the 49-year-old woman did not cause any wrecks and was not injured. Upon contact with the woman, she was uncooperative and resisted arrest. The suspect was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Resisting Arrest and Disorderly Conduct.

Posted on 10/8/24 11:16AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Incarcerated Young Man for Shoplifting Incident at Fred Meyer Store

Grants Pass Police arrested a young man for attempting to steal merchandise from Fred Meyer yesterday. The Police Department reports officers responded to a shoplifting complaint at the store on the Grants Pass Parkway on Monday shortly after 2 p.m.. Police said 19-year-old Daniel David Deleone took $47 worth of vitamins and deli food from Fred Meyer and bypassed all points of sale with the intent of depriving the business of their property. The suspect made it out of the store and got into a silver Ford hatchback occupied by a woman later identified as "Nikita Holmes." Arriving officers contacted Deleone, placed him into custody and lodged him at the Josephine County Jail for 3rd-Degree Theft. Both he and Holmes were trespassed from Fred Meyer.

Posted on 10/8/24 11:15AM by Sam Marsh

South Carolina Man and Passenger Not Hurt after Car Hit Bear on Interstate 5

A South Carolina man and his passenger escaped injury when their vehicle struck a bear on Interstate 5 in the North Valley area last night. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency crews responded to the mishap in the northbound lanes of I-5 near milepost 63 on Monday at 10:10 p.m.. Troopers said a 32-year-old man from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was driving a Chevrolet Malibu when he struck a bear that was on the freeway. They said the driver and his 29-year-old female passenger from Lennon, Michigan, were not hurt. According to OSP, the driver was warned for Violating the Basic Rule which indicates he was driving too fast for the conditions. The man arranged for his own tow through the automobile rental company. No word on the condition of the bear.

Posted on 10/8/24 10:42AM by Sam Marsh

One Person Hurt in Violent Crash on Redwood Highway in the Illinois Valley

One person was hospitalized after a violent crash on Redwood Highway in the Illinois Valley yesterday. On Monday at 12:40 p.m., the Illinois Valley Fire District, American Medical Response, Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation were dispatched to the single-vehicle rollover wreck on US Highway 199 near Eight Dollar Mountain Road. IVFD officials said arriving units found a vehicle upside-down and blocking the northbound lanes of the highway. They said one person was extricated from the wreckage and transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center with unspecified injuries. ODOT crews controlled traffic while Jerry's Towing removed the vehicle and hauled it to Cave Junction. The cause of the crash was being investigated by OSP.

Posted on 10/8/24 6:39AM by Sam Marsh

Drug Investigation at GP Convenience Store Led to Felony Warrant Arrest

A drug investigation at a downtown Grants Pass convenience store early yesterday led to the arrest of a man on two outstanding felony warrants. The Police Department reports officers and American Medical Response rushed to the scene of a possible drug overdose at 7-Eleven on SW 6th Street on Monday at about 3 a.m.. Police said witnesses reported a male subject was having difficulty breathing while sitting in a vehicle at the store. They were advised to take the man out of the vehicle and lay him down on the ground until help could arrive with Narcan. After the 55-year-old man was revived, officers learned that he was wanted on two Medford felony warrants, both charging him with failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Forgery. The man was transported by ambulance to Three Rivers Medical Center where he was evaluated and then cleared for lodging at the Josephine County Jail.

Posted on 10/8/24 6:38AM by Sam Marsh

GP Police Arrested Woman on 2021 Felony Warrant after Walmart Incident

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman on a three-year-old felony warrant while investigating a weekend disturbance at Walmart. According to the Police Department, officers were alerted to the incident at the Walmart Tire Center on Sunday around 7:45 a.m.. Police said a delivery truck driver stated that a female subject was yelling at him and accusing him of being a thief. The caller wanted law enforcement to come to the store on NE Terry Lane to resolve the situation. Arriving officers interviewed the involved parties and discovered that 51-year-old Angela Michelle Fraley was wanted on a 2021 Grants Pass felony warrant for failing to appear in court for 1st-Degree Theft. Fraley was lodged for the warrant at the Josephine County Jail.

Posted on 10/8/24 6:31AM by Sam Marsh

Firefighters Extinguished Weekend Structure Fire at GP Mobile Home Park

Firefighters battled a structure fire in the Redwood area of southwest Grants Pass last weekend. On Sunday shortly before 1 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and Rural Metro Fire Department responded to the incident at Dunrovin Mobile Home Park in the 2300-block of Redwood Avenue. Engines from Grants Pass and Rural Metro converged on a single-wide mobile home that had fire involvement. Crews deployed hose lines and entered the structure to extinguish the blaze and search for occupants simultaneously. The incident was under control within 25 minutes of the initial 9-1-1 call and there were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Posted on 10/8/24 6:28AM by Sam Marsh

Alert Passerby Helps Rural Metro Crews Get Jump on Hugo House Fire

An alert passerby assisted Rural Metro Fire Department with mounting a rapid response to extinguish a structure fire in the Hugo area early yesterday. On Monday at 8:09 a.m., Rural Metro crews from the North Valley Station were dispatched to a house fire on Oxyoke Road near Three Pines Road. Rural Metro officials said the passerby called the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center after observing smoke coming from behind a building. Firefighters arrived quickly to find smoke coming from the attic of a home and filling the interior. Occupants had already exited safely as they were alerted by their smoke alarm. No one was hurt. Officials said the fire appeared to have started from radiant heat of a flue pipe that was too close to structural components and eventually ignited. Due to the early detection and quick response, the building sustained minimal damage. According to the report, the passerby was a member of Josephine County Emergency Management.

Posted on 10/8/24 6:27AM by Sam Marsh