Sheriff's Report, February 17, 2022

Wahkiakum County law enforcement officers and emergency response personnel handled a variety of reports during the past week, including:

February 13 — 7:11 p.m. A caller reported a car off the eastbound shoulder of SR 4 just west of County Line Park, with headlights flashing and the horn honking. 11:31 p.m. A deputy reported that he was speaking with two pedestrians, a man and a woman, walking along SR 4 about a mile west of County Line Park. After the deputy advised dispatch that they were suspects in a crime, there was an altercation with one of the subjects and a person was taken into custody. The deputy requested an ambulance. At 11:51 p.m., he advised that one was on the run, and the other was in custody, but trying to jump down the hill. A deputy and three officers from Cowlitz County were en route. The deputy said that the man was in a seated position and trying to lunge down the bank and that the woman had gone over the bank. A K-9 unit was en route from the Silver Lake area. Officers arrived and began looking for a suspect vehicle, a red truck that the female said had broken down on a gravel road nearby. The man was transported to the jail. A reverse 911 call was advised for all the homes in the area.

February 14 — 10:18 a.m. A possible violation of a restraining order was reported. A deputy advised the caller that there was no order in place. 10:30 a.m. A welfare check was requested for a Beaver Creek resident after someone received a call for help. A deputy and the Cathlamet ambulance responded to aid the resident who was dizzy, light-headed, and sick to his stomach. 2:54 p.m. A caller was concerned about a family member who was intoxicated and planning to drive into town. A deputy spoke with the individual, who said he had no intention of driving. 3:38 p.m. Child abuse was reported at a Cathlamet home. Child Protective Services planned to interview the youth and asked that deputies be present. Social services was contacted as well. 4:55 p.m. A Cathlamet resident reported that a Blue Lives Matter flag had been taken from the front of his house.

February 15 — 12:04 p.m. A caller was concerned about a tenant with an anger issue. 3:18 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a Rosedale resident who had fallen. The individual declined transport to the hospital. 6:05 p.m. A caller said he had been tailgated on SR 4 from Fossil Creek Road to Salmon Creek Road. When he pulled on to Hungry Highway, he realized that it had been a Wahkiakum County deputy, adding that the driver didn’t have any lights on. The caller said he thought he had been dealing with a drunk driver or someone with road rage, because the vehicle following him had had plenty of opportunities to pass.

February 16 — 6:42 a.m. A driver reported that he had struck and injured a deer on a Puget Island road. He said the animal was in a nearby field and needed to be euthanized. State patrol was notified. 7:02 a.m. A suspicious person was seen walking a bicycle down an Elochoman Valley road. 7:10 a.m. The sheriff’s department received a referral from Adult Protective Services for a resident in a Deep River home. 9:17 a.m. A caller was concerned because there were no signs alerting drivers while heavy equipment was being used on a Deep River road. The public works department was notified. 9:25 a.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a Rosedale resident who had gotten stuck after falling out of bed. 10:52 a.m. A caller complained about a driver pulling a trailer that cut in front of traffic in the Skamokawa area in order to pull into a driveway. The caller said this was the second time he had witnessed the driver doing this. He asked that law enforcement speak to the person about being more cautious. 12:41 p.m. An individual was taken into custody and a vehicle was towed. 3:29 p.m. A caller said that a group of five logging trucks had been speeding through Skamokawa every morning that week between 2:20-3 a.m. 5:15 p.m. A caller said people had been setting off explosives on Puget Island. A second call came in about the matter. 5:19 p.m. A caller said that someone was shooting on the north side of SR 4 in the Skamokawa area and that bullets were crossing to the south side of the highway.

February 17 — 12:55 a.m. An East Valley resident said that two Siberian huskies had been trying to kill her ducks and geese. They were able to pen one of the dogs up but the other had run off. She said the dog did not have a collar. She said it was too dark to see how many of her animals were injured or killed. The caller was advised that it would be best to release the dog, that she could not shoot it. She was also advised to take pictures of the injured animals. She did not know who owned the dogs. A deputy called the resident back at 10 a.m. She said she had located the owner and he agreed to compensate her for the loss of her birds. She was advised that shooting the dogs if they returned could incur penalties. 2 a.m. A caller reported that a motorhome had been left in the Grays River area for awhile and that he had just witnessed someone inside it with a flashlight. 6:08 a.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a Rosedale resident who said he couldn’t move and was complaining of pain. 9:11 a.m. A deputy visited a Deep River resident following a referral from Adult Protective Services that alleged possible neglect and financial exploitation. The deputy said the resident appeared to be cared for, the home was tidy, and that the caretaker was willing to show financial records. 1:33 p.m. A caller reported stolen gas and gas cans. 2:23 p.m. A welfare check was requested for a Cathlamet resident. A deputy responded and spoke with the subject and a message was left for the concerned party. 2:26 p.m. A resident on Slide Creek Road in Cowlitz County reported an attempted residential burglary on December 31 after seeing a press release about the burglary suspects who had been apprehended. 4:03 p.m. A caller reported a possible violation to a no contact order. 4:24 p.m. A caller reported a suspicious vehicle parked on a nearby property east of Cathlamet. 5:53 p.m. A caller became concerned after seeing a man carrying a crying child while a woman pushed a stroller nearby. A deputy responded and said it just looked like a child didn’t want to be in the stroller, he wanted his dad to hold him. 6:17 p.m. A caller dialed 911 and someone could be heard talking in the background. Dispatch attempted to call back but it went to voicemail. A message was left. 7:03 p.m. A resident east of Cathlamet reported that a chainsaw was missing after seeing the press release about the arrest of burglary suspects. 10:17 p.m. A caller reported a suspicious vehicle parked at a neighbor’s property after learning the neighbor was not home. The vehicle had been seen parked behind Norse Hall for a couple days prior, and he had see the car go past his home four times that evening.

February 18 — 3:44 p.m. A caller said that a juvenile had run away. A second possible runaway was reported. The two minors were located by state patrol on the Puget Island bridge. They were returned to their parents. 5:54 p.m. A caller reported a large cow on SR 4 near the eastern base of KM. A possible owner was contacted. He believed the cow belonged to someone else and a message was left for that person. State patrol were unable to locate the cow. 7:05 p.m. A caller was concerned about someone’s mental health after she jumped out of a vehicle while it was moving. 7:07 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance transported an Elochoman Valley resident with an infected wound to the hospital. 7:39 p.m. A caller reported that a suspicious vehicle had returned and was traveling down a Puget Island road. A deputy and state patrol spoke to a family member about the individual and he said the person liked to drive and seemed less angry recently. 8:52 p.m. An erratic driver was reported on SR 4 in the Rosedale area. 9:23 p.m. A caller reported a suspicious vehicle parked on a property east of Cathlamet. A deputy was able to confirm that the registered owner of the vehicle owned the property. 11:59 p.m. A structure fire was reported on Altoona-Pillar Rock Road. A garage was completely engulfed, and the roof collapsed. The owner believed it may have been started by a heat lamp. Pacific County was notified. The Grays River Fire Department, a deputy, state patrol, and Skamokawa emergency personnel responded. The fire was reported to be out at 1:38 a.m.

February 19 — 2:46 a.m. The Cathlamet ambulance provided a lift assist for an Elochoman Valley resident returning home from the hospital.