Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for violating terms of her probation after a traffic stop at a city park late last night. The Police Department reports officers pulled over a Ford Explorer driven by 25-year-old Caitlin Caidence May Fossen at Tussing Park on Thursday around 10:45 p.m.. Police said they stopped Fossen after she was observed operating her vehicle on a public roadway with expired registration tags. Upon contact, officers discovered that her driving privileges had been suspended and she was driving unlawfully. Her corrections officer was contacted and she was placed into custody. Fossen was lodged in jail for Probation Violation related to a 2023 arrest for an undisclosed criminal allegation. She was being held on a no-bail detainer. Because Fossen was driving with a suspended license and she had been provided with prior warnings about her vehicle being towed if she continued to drive, the Ford Explorer was impounded.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a man for moving violations early today following a traffic stop in the southwest part of the city. He may also be facing drug charges. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a Subaru driven by a man identified as "Michael Harnish" near the intersection of Redwood Highway and Redwood Avenue at 3:22 this morning. Police said they stopped Harnish after he was observed operating his vehicle on a public highway with no license plates displayed. Upon contact, it was discovered that the vehicle had not been registered in Oregon and it was uninsured. Vehicle identification showed it had been registered in Alabama, Michigan and Arizona. Harnish was cited for Failure to Register Vehicle and No Insurance. He left the scene before his vehicle was impounded despite officers informing him he had paperwork to complete. While inventorying the vehicle, drug paraphernalia was found which tested positive for methamphetamine residue. A charge of Meth Possession against Harnish was forwarded to the Josephine County District Attorney's Office for consideration.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted two people for repeat violations in a downtown park early yesterday. Officers were performing a patrol check at Debo Park on SW G Street when they contacted Cathy Young and Louis Briseno on Thursday morning. Young and Briseno were both cited for Buffer Zone Violation and because it was their second citation for the ordinance violation, they were trespassed from the park for 30 days. A man identified as "Shane Wright" was contacted while he was sleeping in a tent inside a designated buffer zone. Because it was his first contact for the violation, he was educated on the rules of the park.

 

A well-prepared juvenile wearing a life jacket is responsible for a positive story on the Rogue River at Griffin Park yesterday. After flipping a flotation device on the Rogue near the boat ramp, the juvenile was swept downstream and disappeared. Calls into the Grants Pass 9-1-1 Center mobilized a massive response from the Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response. Crews already in the area for a grass fire were quick to arrive and begin a search along the banks of the river. Grants Pass firefighters launched an aerial drone and Hellgate Excursions launched a jetboat to assist in the search. First responders also hitched a ride on a passing civilian boat to aid in the hasty search. Thankfully, the juvenile was able to swim to shore downstream and was located by an off-duty deputy who was in the area. The juvenile was not injured. Rural Metro officials said this close call highlights the value of wearing a life jacket while on the river. They noted the water is very cold and deceptively swift this time of year.

 

The Medford Police Department has made a recent arrest in a sexual assault investigation. Last Friday morning, MPD officers responded to a report of indecent exposure at the intersection of Central Avenue and 9th Street near the Medford branch library. Witnesses reported seeing a male and female engaged in sexual activity in public. Upon arrival, officers quickly determined that the activity was not consensual and they detained the male suspect. An investigation revealed that the suspect -- identified as 36-year-old Malachi J. Pollard -- and the 68-year-old female victim were not known to each other while evidence indicates that Pollard forcibly initiated sexual contact with the victim. Pollard was arrested and lodged at the Jackson County Jail for Attempted Rape, Sexual Abuse and another felony-level sex crime -- all in the First Degree. He is currently on probation for non-sexual assault-related crimes and has a significant criminal history. Investigators do not believe Pollard is related to any unsolved crimes in Medford. The case has been referred to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office for prosecution.

 

Grants Pass Police apprehended a man wanted on a statewide felony warrant in the downtown area this week. The Police Department reports officers arrested 60-year-old Dominic Gilbert Rivera at his mixed martial arts (MMA) gym in the Colonial Plaza on NE F Street on Wednesday afternoon. Police said Rivera was wanted on an Oregon State warrant for Felony Parole Violation related to an undisclosed criminal conviction. Officers were warned that the suspect was highly trained in MMA, but they placed him into custody without incident. Rivera was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. Jail records show Rivera was also arrested for Parole Violation in September 2024.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested three people -- one on a statewide felony warrant and two for drug possession -- during a patrol check in the north part of the city this week. According to the Police Department, officers approached an abandoned vehicle parked on NW Hawthorne Avenue just south of Vine Street on Wednesday morning. There were three occupants inside the white Lexus. Police identified the right front passenger as 46-year-old Frank Paul Ross whose head was down and appeared to be asleep. They observed burnt foil on his lap with what appeared to be fentanyl residue. In the right rear seat was 41-year-old David Lee Chaffee who was wanted on a state warrant for Parole Violation related to an unspecified felony conviction. Another occupant of the vehicle -- 38-year-old Debra Ann Lane -- was found to be in possession of burnt foil and a smoking device. All three admitted they had been smoking fentanyl. Chaffee was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the warrant. He was being held on a no-bail detainer. Ross and Lane were arrested and lodged in jail for Fentanyl Possession. The Lexus was secured at the scene, but a nearby Jeep was towed away. Three small dogs were recovered from the car and taken to the Animal Shelter.

 

Grants Pass Police evicted a man from a downtown resting site this week after he was found to have violated two city ordinances. Police said they contacted Clint Palomino at the 6th and A Street resting site on Wednesday during the noon hour. Officers said Palomino had an oversized tent at the site surrounded by a box of blankets, miscellaneous clothing, a bicycle and a broken filing cabinet. He was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Buffer Zone Violation before being issued a 30-day park exclusion notice. Another man -- identified only as "Paul" -- was angry over not having water and he began yelling and throwing rocks on his tent. Paul eventually calmed down and he was warned for Disorderly Conduct and Scattering Rubbish.

 

The Grants Pass Police Department cleaned up a big mess after a patrol check at a highly visible downtown park this week. Two community service officers were called to respond to Debo Park on SW G Street on Wednesday afternoon. Police said they found a large mess including several tents, trash and shopping carts as well as some syringes littering the landscape. All the tents and garbage were disposed of at Southern Oregon Sanitation. The syringes were also properly disposed of. The shopping carts were returned to the downtown Safeway. According to the report, Jason Whittenberg arrived on scene and stated that the mess was his. However, he denied the syringes belonged to him. He was cited for Scattering Rubbish and Buffer Zone Violation before he was trespassed from the park for 30 days.