Sheriff's Report, July 27, 2023

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

July 17 — 3:02 a.m. A person used the callbox outside the sheriff’s office to report that the FBI and President Trump were closing the borders of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho and declaring those states independent. He said there was no river traffic on the Columbia River and no vehicle traffic on Highway 30. He asked the sheriff’s office to sound the national alarm. 8:30 a.m. Someone from a Rosedale business said a barefoot man was sitting outside the store and had been there since 4 a.m. The man had a red van parked in two spots. The caller asked the sheriff’s office to check on him. Ten minutes later, the subject was seen removing two bags from the van and heading down Columbia Street. 8:46 a.m. A caller said a white Adventure Bus was traveling at a high rate of speed on East Birnie Slough Road. The caller was concerned about pedestrians walking their pets. 8:55 a.m. A woman was seen walking down the middle of Columbia Street with her hands up. The caller said she was wearing a winter coat and looked lost and confused. A deputy responded and said it was related to an earlier call about a red van in a Rosedale parking lot. He provided a vehicle jump. 10:28 a.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided an East Valley resident who may have had a stroke. 2:35 p.m. A person reported an earlier accident in a Rosedale parking lot for insurance purposes. Her car was damaged when another driver backed into it, she said. 5:19 p.m. A caller reported seeing a man walking east along SR 4 near the school access road in Cathlamet. The man was carrying a sleeping bag and did not appear to be wearing pants. 5:57 p.m. A woman said she was harassed and asked inappropriate questions by a man in a black SUV. 6:54 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a youth with an ankle injury. 7:09 p.m. The Grays River ambulance aided a Deep River resident who was choking. At 7:22 p.m., the individual appeared to be breathing better and at 7:47 p.m., he refused transport to the hospital.

July 18 — 3:46 a.m. A Rosedale resident reported a suspicious man in a sleeping bag or tarp in his yard. The caller said the man was snoring. A deputy responded and later requested the Cathlamet ambulance after discovering the man had lacerations to his knee. 5:57 a.m. A caller was concerned about an erratic driver. He said the vehicle looked like it had been in an accident at some point. He later reported that the driver pulled off the road near the Chevron. 1:32 p.m. A caller hung up after dialing 911. Dispatch attempted to call back and left a message. 3:10 p.m. A caller said that the siren at the Puget Island Fire Hall might go off occasionally as they were working on the system. 3:23 p.m. A woman was reported to be smoking something in a marina bathroom. She left before deputies could respond. 5:10 p.m. The Department of Corrections requested assistance with a known suspect at an Alger Creek home. Deputies discovered that the subject had taken explicit photos and videos of a juvenile that was there. 6:21 p.m. A caller said that someone was setting off fireworks or shots were fired at a Rosburg residence. A deputy met with people at the nearby home, and the father admitted that his son was shooting firearms. He was advised to educate his son on better locations for shooting. 8:27 p.m. A caller reported a suspicious vehicle with no plates parked at a vacant property in Grays River. A deputy responded and found two females rockhounding in the river nearby. 10:40 p.m. A caller said vehicles were swerving to avoid a large bag of garbage in the eastbound lane of SR 4 east of Cathlamet. 11:25 p.m. A tree was down and partially blocking the westbound lane of SR 4 in the Deep River area.

July 19 — 12:23 a.m. A caller reported that someone may be burning plastic or garbage in the East Valley area. A deputy responded but was unable to locate the source of the smoky smell. 1:45 a.m. A driver was detained following a vehicle stop. 6:42 a.m. A fawn was hit by a driver on SR 4 near the school access road in Cathlamet. The caller said it was still alive and on the south side of the road. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified. 8:54 a.m. A Deep River resident said someone was trapping crawdads in the river in front of his property. The WDFW was notified. 10:03 p.m. A Puget Island resident was concerned that someone might be living under a bridge when she found a path to the bridge cut in the grass on her property. A deputy responded and came to the conclusion that the path was made for possible maintenance work. 11:07 a.m. A West Valley resident reported an ongoing issue with a neighbor involving three peacocks and a dog. 12:38 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided an Elochoman Valley resident who was confused and had swollen legs. 2:19 p.m. An Altoona/Pillar Rock Road resident reported hearing shots fired for the third night in a row. 2:21 p.m. A van was towed from a Rosedale parking lot. 4:55 p.m. A caller was concerned that a Rosedale resident was neglecting his dog. 5:54 p.m. A protection order may have been violated.

July 20 — 2:09 a.m. A third party reported that an Eden Valley resident was concerned someone may have shot a cow and that they may be outside. A deputy contacted the person and she confirmed those concerns and said she saw bright lights down in her field. 5:23 a.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a person complaining of abdominal pain at Svensen Park on Puget Island. 5:34 a.m. A caller requested an ambulance at the marina after rescuing two people from the river. One of them was having a diabetic issue. 5:45 a.m. A caller reported that a boat appeared to be sinking in the Columbia River just north of East Little Island. It was drifting downriver. The Coast Guard was aware of the situation. 6:42 a.m. An alarm was activated at an office west of Cathlamet. A key holder was not responding to phone calls. 7:41 a.m. A caller reported that a boat was upside down in the marina. 9:03 a.m. A cell phone found in the courtroom was turned in to a deputy for evidence. 9:59 a.m. A resident on Risk Road said he almost collided with another vehicle while pulling out of his driveway at 2:28 a.m. He said the other vehicle left the scene. 10:02 a.m. A caller said his Apple Watch accidentally dialed 911. 11:06 a.m. A Puget Island resident said she had two bats in her house. A deputy contacted an exterminator. 11:39 a.m. The Grays River ambulance aided a Grays River resident with an arm injury. 11:55 a.m. A Cathlamet resident reported possible theft or vandalism by a family member and said they planned to compile a list of items that were either damaged or stolen. 12:38 a.m. An Elochoman Valley resident reported that a neighbor’s bull tore down a fence and was on their property. 3:58 p.m. A caller reported that people headed to and from the ferry were traveling at high speeds. 4:35 p.m. A Puget Island resident reported a fraudulent phone call. 4:48 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a Rosedale resident complaining of chest pain. 5:49 p.m. The Cathlamet ambulance aided a Rosedale resident who was feeling weak and had a high pulse rate. 6:45 p.m. A caller reported a possible drunk driver after a motorhome towing a boat almost hit a ramp and a ferry employee’s vehicle. The driver ran over cones, which he was dragging. A deputy stopped the driver for improper signaling. 11:05 p.m. A welfare check was requested for an individual who went canoeing and had not returned.

July 21 — 1:41 a.m. A caller was concerned after finding lights on, garage doors open, and hearing a dog barking at a Rosedale home. A deputy responded and contacted the homeowner who said no one was home and no one should be there. He was en route. A deputy later reported that no one was in the home and all was clear. 10:53 a.m. A caller said a child was locked in a car in the Rosedale area. A deputy responded. 2:19 p.m. A caller said a Skamokawa neighbor was burning brush. The Skamokawa Fire Department and a deputy responded. 4:38 p.m. A caller informed the sheriff’s office he would be shooting near the water plant. He did not want to not cause alarm with the noise. 4:47 p.m. A caller requested assistance after getting locked out of a vehicle at the marina. 5:13 p.m. A caller reported lost keys. 7:04 p.m. A man said his wife’s family was contacting him after he filed a restraining order against her. They were concerned about her wellbeing. 7:07 p.m. A caller said that mini dirt bikes were speeding on a Deep River road. He said several juveniles were taking turns. A deputy responded and spoke with both parties. 7:14 pm. A tree was down and blocking both lanes of SR 4 near County Line Park. There were multiple vehicles on scene and people were trying to cut it with a chain saw. A deputy advised that the roadway was clear at 7:47 p.m. 8:25 p.m. A caller reported a possible drunk driver heading west on SR 4. 9:46 p.m. A civil standby was provided at a Rosedale home. 11:52 p.m. A caller reported that an erratic driver ran his son off the road and caused him to crash his car on SR 4 in the Rosedale area.

July 22 — 12:28 a.m. A welfare check was requested for a man at a Rosedale business. He was confused, lost, and out of gas. He said he was trying to get to I-5 and a beach in Oregon. A deputy responded and determined the man was okay. He got fuel and headed toward Longview. 1:58 a.m. A Puget Island resident said a man ran into his yard yelling about a fire at a nearby address. The Cathlamet Fire Department, the Cathlamet ambulance, and a deputy responded. No fire was found. 4:32 p.m. A caller said she was walking her dog on Puget Island when she passed a man who yelled at her, asking how to get off the island. She said he seemed confused, but she told him how and gave him a bottle of water. 6:57 a.m. The Grays River ambulance aided a Grays River resident who was complaining of severe abdominal pain. 10:18 a.m. A caller was concerned about a person living in a tent at the site of a recent fire on Puget Island. The caller said the man did not have access to a bathroom or potable water and that he might be using drugs and was wandering all around the neighborhood at all hours of the night. 11:23 a.m. A Puget Island resident asked for assistance when someone refused to leave the property. The other party called and said he was being threatened by the property owner’s husband. A deputy advised both parties of the eviction process and warned them to remain civil. 6:07 p.m. An individual was arrested after an assault was reported at an Elochoman Valley home. The Cathlamet ambulance responded to aid an individual who was bleeding from the mouth, nose, leg, and arm. He said he was assaulted by a man and his wife. They claimed he was looking in the back of their truck when they came out to confront him, and that he was intoxicated and looking for a fight. 6:42 p.m. A caller reported that he was attacked by a dog in the Elochoman Valley area. He was bleeding but he refused medical attention. The dog was confined in the back of his truck. At 8:12 p.m., the owners of the dog were on his property, and they wanted their dog. 6:45 p.m. A caller reported two vehicles in a ditch on SR 4 on the east side of the county.

July 23 — 7:59 a.m. A debit card was found on a Cathlamet street. Dispatch called a family member of the owner. 8:38 a.m. A Puget Island resident said his neighbors were harassing him. 11:25 a.m. A caller noticed that a manhole cover was missing. A message was left for the public works supervisor. 12:06 p.m. A caller said that people were hauling hay without safety chains on Altoona/Pillar Rock Road. He was concerned that trailers could come loose. 2:04 p.m. A caller said his vehicle broke down on a Grays River road and that he was retrieving a trailer to tow it. 2:21 p.m. A man called to say his current girlfriend had a dispute with another family member and wanted him to leave. 3:03 p.m. An Elochoman Valley resident said that a juvenile who had a history of violence was in possession of a knife/multi-tool and was unwilling to give it up. He said the youth wasn’t using it in a threatening manner. He then said the juvenile left the home and was headed to a deputy’s residence. The deputy later returned the multi-tool to the parent. 5:43 p.m. A deputy and the Cathlamet ambulance aided a Puget Island resident who said he was feeling delusional and slurring words. He said his leg was injured and swollen. 8:15 p.m. A caller said his truck would be parked overnight at the scenic lookout over the marina after a tire blew out. 9:13 p.m. An Elochoman Valley resident complained about an ongoing problem with her brother who was driving by her house, honking, and doing burnouts. He said he would not stop, even if legal action was taken.