Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a woman for being the aggressor in a weekend brawl at a trailer park on Rogue River Highway. The Police Department reports officers responded to the disturbance involving several people in the 1200-block of Highway 99 on Saturday around 8 p.m.. Police said there was a large fight at the incident location. They said witnesses reported a 26-year-old female subject and her male friend showed up to the park intoxicated and spit on a woman. Multiple subjects told the pair to leave, but the male subject reportedly attacked another man by pulling him into the vehicle and scratching him. The female subject got out of the vehicle and punched a woman. Both victims were transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. Both suspects left in a vehicle. Police were able to contact them by phone and the woman agreed to meet with an officer to give her side of the story. Her male friend refused to meet with law enforcement. She was eventually placed into custody. The suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 4th-Degree Assault. The report was forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for a review of potential charges against her male companion.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a man on an outstanding felony warrant during a weekend traffic stop on Redwood Highway near O'Brien. According to OSP, troopers pulled over a Ford Excursion driven by a 33-year-old male subject near milepost 36 of US Highway 199 on Saturday at 1:55 p.m.. Troopers said they stopped the vehicle for traffic violations and discovered that the driver had an active felony warrant for his arrest. He was wanted for Felony Parole Violation, but the underlying conviction was not disclosed. The suspect was placed into custody, transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on a no-bail detainer. His vehicle was left with a passenger who was identified as a 30-year-old Cave Junction man.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman on an out-of-county felony warrant while investigating a weekend case of suspicious activity at a local mini-storage complex. According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a reported break-in at All American Storage in the 2800-block of Foothill Boulevard on Friday at 8:30 p.m.. Deputies said a neighbor to the storage complex called 9-1-1 to report a woman and a man who appeared to be trying to go under a fence at the closed business. The caller said the woman made it into the complex and entered a storage unit while the man sat in a vehicle that was parked across the street. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the 43-year-old woman and they discovered that she was wanted on a Douglas County felony warrant for three counts each of Identity Theft and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card plus two counts each of 2nd-Degree Theft and 3rd-Degree Theft. She initially gave them a false name. The female suspect was lodged at the Josephine County Jail where she was being held in lieu of posting a $10,000 bond.

 

Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and much more after a weekend traffic stop in the north part of the city. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a blue sedan driven by a 23-year-old female subject near the corner of NE 7th and Steiger streets on Friday at 11:06 p.m.. Police said they stopped the woman for driving over a curb, crossing three travel lanes while failing to use a turn signal and making a left turn on a red light that was posted "No Left Turn." They said the driver showed strong signs of impairment. After performing poorly in field sobriety tests, the woman refused to provide breath and urine samples, so a search warrant was obtained and she was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw. While taking her out of the patrol vehicle at the hospital, she tried to assault officers by spitting at them and attempting to bite them. She had to be held down and restrained for the blood draw. The suspect was subsequently lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Attempted Assault on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest and Escape because she had slipped out of one handcuff. She was being held without bail and her car was impounded.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Grants Pass man for impaired driving after a weekend traffic stop on the southwest side of the city. OSP reports troopers pulled over a Chevrolet HHR driven by the 40-year-old male subject near the intersection of Redwood Highway and Allen Creek Road at 12:34 a.m. Saturday. Troopers said they stopped the vehicle for multiple traffic violations and the driver displayed signs of impairment. They said the driver performed poorly in field sobriety tests, so he was placed into custody, a search warrant was obtained and he was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center for a legal blood draw that documented his impairment. The suspect was then lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Reckless Driving. His vehicle was impounded.

 

A pedestrian is dead after being struck by a car over the weekend in the Central Point area. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office reports Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon received a call on Saturday at 11:30 p.m. for a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle in the 400-block of Wilson Road. Deputies responded along with Jackson County Fire District #3 and Mercy Flights. The patient was pronounced deceased at the scene around 11:44 p.m.. Next of kin was notified. The deceased was identified as 35-year-old Omar Salas Ibarra of Central Point. Initial reports indicate a woman driving a black 1998 Honda Civic traveling east on Wilson Road struck Ibarra while he was attempting to cross the street. No criminal charges have been filed against the driver at this time. The case is under investigation by the Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team.

 

Two occupants of a minivan were hospitalized after rear-ending a semi-truck and trailer that was traveling in the slow lane on Interstate 5 near Mount Sexton Pass. Rural Metro Fire Department, Grants Pass Fire & Rescue and American Medical Response were dispatched to the two-vehicle crash on Saturday at 9:13 p.m.. Rural Metro officials said the semi-truck dragged the vehicle for approximately 300 feet before being flagged down by a passing motorist. One occupant of the minivan had to be extricated by rescuers using specialized equipment. A Mercy Flights helicopter was landed at the Hugo Exit to airlift the most seriously injured occupant to a local hospital. The other occupant was transported by ambulance. The truck driver was not hurt. The Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation processed the scene and worked to clear the wreckage. A heavy wrecker from Caveman Towing was called in to assist, but it was not used.

 

A Grants Pass man was arrested for allegedly committing 11 sex crimes involving multiple children and one animal. Josephine County Jail records show a 35-year-old male subject identified as "Justin Leslie Concha" was booked into the Josephine County Jail by the Oregon State Police late last week. OSP detectives allege that Concha downloaded around 500 images or videos of child exploitation -- also known as child pornography. They said he is also known as "Jay Leslie Frost." Concha was charged with five counts of 1st-Degree Encouraging Child Sex Abuse, five counts of 2nd-Degree Encouraging Child Sex Abuse and one count of Encouraging Sexual Assault of an Animal. He was initially held without bail. Following a court arraignment on Friday, Concha posted a $15,000 cash bond and was released from custody. His trial has not yet been scheduled.

 

Multiple agencies extinguished a fast-moving grass fire in east Grants Pass over the weekend. It was the second such incident in the same general area of the city. On Saturday at 3:12 p.m., Grants Pass Fire & Rescue was alerted by the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center about a reported vegetation fire in the area of NE Agness Avenue and the railroad tracks. Grants Pass Battalion Chief 4 and Engine 7308 arrived on scene to find a grass fire. The incident was elevated to a second alarm which mobilized resources from Rural Metro Fire Department, Oregon Department of Forestry and the Grants Pass Police Department. The fire was stopped at 1.1 acres and the cause was under investigation. On Friday evening, multiple agencies battled a four-acre grass fire off Foothill Boulevard near Pearce Park Road. The cause of that fire was under investigation. Grants Pass fire officials said these two fires are examples of how high the fire danger is around the city. They urged extreme caution around dry vegetation.