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Car not stolen – was repossessed

Mar 042013

Not a stolen Car

Newport Police says this car was repossessed – not stolen.

ATTENTION – My cute little black 2006 Chevy Aveo 4dr hatchback has been stolen from my driveway in Newport. I have called the dealership and the loan company, there was no repossession order. There is a white circle sticker on the inside of the windshield just below the rear view mirror. There are two black seat covers with pink butterfly designs on the front two seats. Anna’s black and gray car seat was still in the back seat. My pink and brown coat as well. There is a stereo system in it and all my stuff.

Again this report was unfounded. The car was lawfully repossessed.

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Wanted Sex Offender arrested at South Beach, along with his suspected “accomplice”

Crime No Responses »

Mar 012013

Joseph LaCroix
Convicted Sex Offender
Wanted by police
Chased down by NPD and SO Deputies

Newport Police Officers and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies responded Thursday to assist Parole and Probation (P&P) Officers in South Beach who were pursuing a wanted sex offender. A P&P officer had observed Joseph Douglas LaCroix, age 28 of Newport, on Hwy 101 near SE 40th St. in South Beach.

LaCroix had a felony Parole Board warrant for his arrest. As the P&P officers attempted to contact him, he fled on foot. NPD Officers and LCSO Deputies established a perimeter and began to search the area. During the search, officers contacted Elizabeth Holmes, age 32 of Newport, in a motor home parked in a vacant lot where she and LaCroix were living. A valid misdemeanor warrant was found for Holmes; she was taken into custody.

A short while later a Deputy spotted LaCroix hiding in a storage area adjacent to the Central Lincoln PUD warehouse and shop facility. Although surrounded, LaCroix still tried to flee on foot. The officers were faster and subdued LaCroix a few minutes later.

Holmes was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on a Marion County no-bail warrant that charged her with Obstruction of a Criminal Investigation, and Providing False Information to a Police Officer. LaCroix was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on a no-bail Oregon State Parole Board warrant, and a new charge of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

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Anti-Drug Enforcement Team LINT arrests more drug suspects

Crime, LINT No Responses »

Feb 252013

Dennis Carey, 26
Warrant/Meth Possession

Lincoln Interagency Narcotics Team (LINT), with the assistance of the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force and local and state law enforcement agencies, arrested three people last Thursday on several charges. One of the individuals arrested was wanted since 2011 and eluded capture about two weeks ago near Siletz.

Acting on information that wanted subject DENNIS ADLEM CAREY, age 26, from Toledo, was in the Lincoln Beach area, on February 21, 2013, LINT detectives and US Marshals conducted surveillance on a residence in the 100 block of Wakash Street. CAREY was wanted on a 2011 Probation Violation warrant and was reported armed with firearms as he continued to hide and elude arrest. Officers saw CAREY exit the residence on foot and he was apprehended by US Marshal Fugitive Task Force members. CAREY was in possession of methamphetamine and other evidence for which additional charges are pending. Carey was believed involved in a high speed pursuit February 9th when officers tried to initiate a traffic stop near Siletz. The chase was terminated by officers when Carey’s car continued at high speed up Moonshine Park Road and onto a gravel road, just beyond the park.

Zak Harris, 30, Lincoln Beach
Probation Violation

A second male identified as ZAK ALDRICH HARRIS, age 30, from Lincoln Beach, was arrested at the residence for Probation Violation. CAREY’s girlfriend, SARAH L. DAUENHAUER, age 25, was also arrested for Frequenting a Place Where Controlled Substances are kept.

Information developed indicated drugs, a gun and cash was buried near the residence. Subsequent search found over 3 ounces of methamphetamine, heroin, cash and a handgun. A search warrant executed at the residence and a second residence in the Siletz area led to the recovery of firearms, including one confirmed stolen, and other evidence. A vehicle used by CAREY during a previous elude was found and seized by Toledo Police Department.

The arrests were part of a combined effort involving US Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Toledo Police Department, Newport Police Department K-9 unit, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and Lincoln County Parole and Probation. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests are pending.

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Less than proper driving contributes to nabbing drug suspects

Crime No Responses »

Feb 252013

Sabrina McCoy, 27
Possession of Meth
Waldport

A young Waldport woman was pulled over early Monday morning after a sheriff’s deputy said she failed to use her turn signal at SW Maple and Highway 101. Upon contact, the deputy asked driver Sabrina McCoy if he could search her vehicle. The deputy said she gave permission. A short while later the deputy found methamphetamine and related drug paraphrenalia.

McCoy was immediately arrested on a charge of unlawful possession of meth and transported to the Lincoln County Jail where she was being held on $50,000 bail. Law enforcement say poor driving habits often give away drug users and transporters of illegal drugs within and between states. They say speeding, not using turn signals, unsafe vehicle movements and driving with defective head or tail lights can be giveaways that there are drugs aboard.

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Agate Beach Hotel guests order room service. A short while later three of the four are hauled off to jail.

Crime 1 Response »

Feb 232013

Sandra Joncek-Nelson
$95,000 bail
LCJ photo

Benjamin Yuma
$65,000 bail
LCJ photo

Chad Flores
$15,000 bail
LCJ photo

Updated 10:30am
Sunday

Newport Police say four guests in a fourth floor room at the Agate Beach Hotel ordered room service Saturday evening. As a result, three occupants of the room wound up going to jail. Police say when room service entered the room they immediately saw a sizeable quantity of illegal drugs in plain sight.

Police say room service calmly left and notified hotel management who then called police. Within minutes, police officers were on scene, surveying the evidence. Three adults were arrested and taken to the county jail. One other adult was being interviewed. State child welfare officials were called to the scene to determine their custody status.

Those arrested were Sandra Joncek-Nelson on charges of possession of oxycodone, tampering with evidence, resisting arrest and frequenting a location where drugs were present. Nelson’s bail was set at $95,000. Benjamin Yuma, arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and frequenting a location where illegal drugs were present. Bail, $65,000. Chad Flores, arrested for frequenting a location where illegal drugs were present. Bail, $15,000.

The investigation continues.

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Waldport man charged with sexual abuse of underage female

Crime No Responses »

Feb 172013

Adam Britto, 37
Sexual Abuse of Underage Female

A Waldport man was arrested late this week following an investigation of a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 11-hundred block of Broadway. Upon arrival a sheriff’s deputy determined that Adam Britto, 37, had a sexual relationship with an underage female. “Age of consent” in Oregon is 18.

Britto was taken into custody and transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was charged with ten counts of sexual abuse and remains held on a bail of $500,000.

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Toledo High School student cited for recklessly endangering another student

Crime No Responses »

Feb 172013

On Friday during the lunch hour a Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to Toledo High School on a report that a 16 year old male student appeared to be setting another student on fire. The deputy reported that the 16 year old, without warning, approached the victim and sprayed him with cologne and then lit the fumes on fire. The deputy said the 16 year old did it twice. The victim did not require medical attention.

The deputy counseled the student and then cited him for Recklessly Endangering another person, which is a Class A Misdemeanor. The case has been referred to the county juvenile department.

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LINT raid on alleged Newport drug house – Mother-daughter arrested

Crime, Drugs, Newport No Responses »

Feb 152013

Drug Bust on NW 8th
Just south of the ball fields

Evidence truck backed into driveway
Officers searching the house

Dianna Sutherland, 47
Possession of Methamphetamine

Kattie Sutherland, 23
Four children taken into protective custody
Unlawful possession and delivery of methamphetamine
Storing illegal drugs, child neglect

A Newport-area mother and daughter were arrested Tuesday at a Newport-area residence by detectives from the Lincoln Interagency Narcotics Team (LINT), with the assistance of local law enforcement agencies, related to a methamphetamine investigation.

On Tuesday, February 12th, LINT detectives assisted by Newport Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Department of Human Service (DHS), served a narcotics-related search warrant in the 200 block of NW 8th Street, a residential area adjacent to a baseball sports complex. Detectives seized small amounts of methamphetamine, packaging materials, and other evidence.

Present at the residence were DIANNA DENISE SUTHERLAND, age 47; KATTIE IRENE SUTHERLAND, age 23; and, four children ages 8 years, 5 years, 3 years, and 10 months. The four children were taken into protective custody by DHS. KATIE SUTHERLAND is the mother of three of the children and related to the fourth child.

Both women were taken into custody and lodged in Lincoln County Jail on the following charges:

KATTIE SUTHERLAND
* Unlawful Possession and Delivery of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine
* Maintaining a Place Where Controlled Substances are Kept / Used
* Child Neglect
* Bail: $250,000

DIANNA SUTHERLAND
* Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine
* Bail: $50,000

The LINT team is comprised of members from Oregon State Police, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Newport Police Department, Lincoln City Police Department, and Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office. Anyone with additional information about this case or other drug-related crimes is encouraged to contact LINT at (541) 265-8101.

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Thomas Acosta gets 8 years, 4 months for sexual assault, sodomy and assault against April Loper

Crime No Responses »

Feb 142013

Arrested in Redding, CA
after April Loper escaped from him

Thomas Acosta, convicted of repeated sexual assault and sodomy on April Loper of Toledo, was sentenced today in Circuit Court for a total 8 years and four months in state prison. The charges are both Measure 11 crimes so he is not supposed to be released before his full sentences are served.

District Attorney Rob Bovett told reporters today that it was a difficult case because April could not appear in court to tell her story. She was killed in a traffic accident on Highway 20 east of Eddyville shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin. Her father also perished in the same accident. Special sex crimes prosecutor Alice Vachss said although there was a lot of evidence that was dismissed as hearsay, she said she and Chief Deputy Marsha Buckley was able to get the judge to allow descriptions of April’s behavior, as described by family and friends, at various stages of her stormy relationship with Acosta. Also, testimony was allowed by medical staff at Pacific Communities Hospital as they described April’s wounds after she returned from Redding, CA after having been forced to go there against her will by Acosta. She later escaped and met up with a family member down there who brought her back home and told Newport Police what had happeed to her. Soonafter authorities began assembling a case against Acosta. A week or so later Acosta was in the Lincoln County Jail awaiting trial.

But again, just before the trial began, April and her father were killed in a head-on crash east of Eddyville. It made the prosecution’s case very difficult. Acosta’s defense attorney singled out a lot of evidence that, because it was hearsay and not direct evidence from April, caused the lion’s share of the charges to be dropped, except for six. Acosta was convicted on four, which puts him in prison for nearly 8 and a half years.

Bovett said they were fighting a terrible uphill battle in getting enough evidence deemed admissible to keep the case moving forward. But in the end the jury agreed to convict Acosta on two counts of sexual assault, one count of sodomy and another on assault.

Acosta has a long criminal record in Washington, California, Texas and Nevada for assault, drunk driving and possession of illegal weapons.

Here is a quick chat with the local news media by District Attorney Rob Bovett and sex crimes special prosecutor Alice Vachss after Acosta was led back to his cell in the Lincoln County Jail from where he will soon be transferred to a state prison to serve out his 8 year four month tour. It is a very sincere, heartfelt message to the community about the outcome of the trial and why they worked so hard to see it through.

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Newport Law Enforcement action: Handled. Emergency over.

Crime No Responses »

Feb 142013

11:18am
A law enforcement action was underway in the 1000 block of Eads Street.

11:32am
Law enforcement hast has the situation handled. Units are clearing the scene, returning to stations. Cause possibly medical/drug related.

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