Local News

Grants Pass Police arrested a man on two outstanding warrants in the north part of the city yesterday. According the Police Department, officers were on patrol Monday afternoon when they spotted 24-year-old Calvin Mathew Bertik at Wendy's on NE 6th Street. Police said Bertik was wearing a black mask when he spotted them and took off running west toward Black Bear Diner before he doubled back and started running toward 7th Street. He was eventually detained near McDonalds. Officers then discovered why Bertik ran away from them. He was wanted on two Grants Pass warrants for failing to appear in court for 2nd-Degree Burglary, 3rd-Degree Theft and Possession of Methamphetamine. Bertik was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on his outstanding warrants. He was being held without bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a Wolf Creek man on two outstanding warrants during a weekend contact near Interstate 5. OSP reports troopers contacted 29-year-old Colton Jerome Shults underneath an I-5 overpass near Coyote Creek Road on Saturday at 11:27 a.m.. Troopers said Shults was found to be wanted on two Josephine County warrants for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and for failing to appear in court for another unspecified crime. Shults was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail on $50,000 bail.

 

The Oregon State Police arrested a motorist for impaired driving and more after he was involved in a weekend crash on Redwood Highway near Cave Junction. According to OSP, troopers and emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle wreck near milepost 28 of US Highway 199 on Sunday at 10:45 p.m.. Troopers said a Dodge Caravan driven by 23-year-old Emmanuel Perez collided with a Dodge Ram pickup driven by a 46-year-old Cave Junction man. They said Perez showed signs of impairment at the crash scene. He was transported by ambulance to Three River Medical Center for treatment of unspecified injuries. While Perez was at the hospital, a telephonic search warrant was granted and a legal blood draw was performed that confirmed a high level of impairment. Perez was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. He was cited and released to the care of hospital staff, but his minivan was impounded. The pickup was also towed.

 

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman for trespassing at a campground in the Illinois Valley yesterday. The Sheriff's Office reports deputies received a report of a female subject who had returned to the Cave Junction KOA Campground in the 25,400-block of Redwood Highway on Monday morning. Deputies said a caller reported 34-year-old Sarah Ivory Jaentsch was in the park again after she had previously been trespassed. The caller said guests complained that she was all bundled up and "resting" in the west bathrooms. Deputies deemed it a low priority call, but they went to the campground in the afternoon, located Jaentsch and placed her into custody. Jaentsch was transported to Grants Pass and lodged at the Josephine County Jail for 2nd-Degree Criminal Trespass. She was being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police cited a motorist for multiple violations after he was caught burning out on NE A Street late yesterday. According to the Police Department, officers pulled over a silver sedan with no license plates near the corner of A and 9th streets on Monday at 4:33 p.m.. Police said they were on patrol when they observed the car doing a burnout, causing heavy smoke and visible burn marks on the roadway. There were no visible license plates on the car driven by a man identified as "Wyatt Pond." Pond was found to be driving without a license and no insurance. He was cited for Speed Racing, No Operator's License and No Insurance. His car was impounded.

 

The Illinois Valley Fire District helped extinguish a small vehicle fire near Cave Junction yesterday. On Monday at 3:06 p.m., IVFD crews responded to the incident in the 1,000-block of Rockydale Road. Upon arrival, firefighters observed the property owners actively working to put out the fire. Crews assisted with dousing the flames and preventing any spread to nearby structures or vegetation. IVFD officials said the cause of the vehicle fire was under investigation, but their preliminary findings suggested a possible battery arcing event.

 

A Grants Pass woman was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Lake County late last week. The Oregon State Police reports troopers and emergency personnel responded to the single-vehicle crash near milepost 55 of Highway 140 at 11:33 a.m. Friday. Troopers said the preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Nissan Sentra driven by 47-year-old Laura Anne Keys left the highway for unknown reasons, rolled down a steep embankment and came to rest on its top. According to OSP, Keys was declared deceased at the scene. The highway was not impacted during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by Lake County Search & Rescue and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed two people for felony robbery and conspiracy after they injured a store employee while stealing alcoholic beverages last weekend. The Police Department reports officers arrested 30-year-old Elza Derado Yost and 34-year-old Ruby Jaramillo-Doyle in an unspecified location on Sunday morning. Police said Yost stole a case of White Claws valued at just over $25 from the 7-Eleven store on SW 6th Street late Saturday night. They said he entered a vehicle driven by Jaramillo-Doyle and when store employees tried to stop the theft, the woman drove her vehicle forward, causing one employee to lose his balance, fall and hurt his hand. The suspects fled the scene southbound and were not located. Officers traced the vehicle registration to a property on Ewe Creek Road, but did not find the suspects or the GMC sport utility vehicle. They kept looking and eventually located the suspects the next morning, placing both into custody. Yost and Jaramillo-Doyle were lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 3rd-Degree Robbery and Felony Criminal Conspiracy. Yost was additionally charged with 3rd-Degree Theft. Both suspects were being held without bail.

 

Grants Pass Police jailed a well-known offender for felony vandalism and other crimes after he shattered a glass door at the main entrance of the Josephine County Courthouse. The Police Department reports officers arrested 31-year-old Jose Manuel Urias near the corner of 6th and D streets on Saturday afternoon following a brief foot pursuit. Police said Urias ran into traffic on 6th Street and almost caused a bicycle crash. They said he acted like he was going to damage a patrol car before he ran off. He appeared to be intoxicated when he was observed throwing an object at the front doors of the Courthouse. The glass was broken on one of the large mechanical doors and damage was estimated to be more than $1,000. Urias fled on foot after being told to stop and that he was under arrest. After being captured at 6th and D, officers confirmed he was heavily intoxicated. Urias was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony 1st-Degree Criminal Mischief, Disorderly Conduct and Escape. He was being held without bail.