[1]An apparent grenade was seized from a Centralia home / Courtesy photo by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office
Updated at 3:12 p.m.
EXPLOSIVE DEVICE FOUND IN CENTRALIA HOME
• Law enforcement officers looking for drugs got an unexpected surprise in Centralia on Saturday: a grenade. At least it looked like a grenade and was taken away by a bomb specialist with the Washington State Patrol, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies served a search warrant about 9 .m. at a residence on the 500 block of South Street after getting information about possible narcotics there, according to sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust. During the search, an improvised explosive device turned up, he said. Aust said he believed it was an empty but real grenade that someone refilled on their own. A small amount of drugs were found, he said. Several firearms were confiscated as well, he said. Nobody has yet been arrested, because the suspect has a medical condition that makes it cost prohibitive to keep him at the jail, according to Aust. The case will be evaluated for possible coming charges, according to Aust.
MAN DEMANDS WOMAN’S CASH
• A 20-year-old Seattle man was booked into jail on Saturday for attempted robbery in the second-degree after he allegedly confronted a young woman on a Centralia street and demanded a she hand over the money he saw her counting. Police were called about 12:10 p.m. to the area of West Pear and South Oak streets were told when she tried to get away, he followed her, according to the Centralia Police Department. Sgt. Carl Buster said the subject apparently ran up to her and said “you’re gonna give me all that money” repeatedly. A suspect, Mohamed S. Mohamed, was subsequently located and arrested, according to police.
SAFE STOLEN
• Centralia police were called to a burglary yesterday morning at the the 200 block of East Cherry Street. A safe was missing, according to the Centralia Police Department.
SHOPLIFT
• An unidentified male was seen on security video stealing two cases of beer from the 1200 block of Mellen Street in Centralia on Friday, according to the Centralia Police Department.
PURSE-LIFT
• Police were called to the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia on Friday evening where a female reported the theft of her purse while shopping.
MAIL THEFT
• Chehalis police were called about 5:30 p.m. on Friday to the 500 block of Northeast Jefferson Avenue where they were told an envelope containing $50 left in the mailbox by someone for someone else was missing.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS GONE
• Unspecified medication was reported stolen from the 400 block of South Cedar Street in Centralia on Friday.
• A Centralia man called police after he got a bill for Oxycontin from a Chehalis pharmacy, a medication he didn’t order or receive, according to the Chehalis Police Department. The man told police on Friday it appears to be someone else using his name, according to police.
DRUGS
• A 37-year-old Centralia man was arrested for a warrant and then possession of methamphetamine about 5 p.m. on Friday after contact with an officer at the 900 block of Woodland Avenue in Centralia. Chance M. Allen was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.
CAR PROWL
• Someone stole chain saws, tools and fuel from a log truck over the weekend, according to a report made to police yesterday from the 1800 block of North Pearl Street in Centralia.
• Police took a report on Saturday from the 100 block of Jalyn Street in Centralia about a car prowl. The victim said someone broke in during the night and took her purse, according to the Centralia Police Department.
• Stereo speakers and sunglasses were among the items missing from a vehicle parked at the 1700 block of Southwest Snively Avenue in Chehalis. The report was made to police on Saturday.
• Police were called about a window of a vehicle smashed out on Friday at the 2500 block of Borst Avenue in Centralia.
PORCH CATCHES FIRE
• Firefighters were called about 4 a.m. yesterday to a porch on fire on the 500 block of West First Street in Centralia. Burning were some wooden planter boxes and a small area of the porch, according to Riverside Fire Authority. The cause remains under investigation, according to Fire Capt. Casey McCarthy.
POLICE CHASE ENDS WITH ARREST
• A 20-year-old Tenino man who allegedly led police on a high speed chase from east of Napavine, into Chehalis, onto Interstate 5, and then out state Route 6 and was eventually arrested said he didn’t pull over for the initial traffic stop because he didn’t have car insurance. Christopher A. Carsten was booked in to the Lewis County Jail after the late Friday night pursuit that reached speeds of more than 90 mph on Jackson Highway, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It began about 10:50 p.m. when a sheriff’s deputy tried to pull over an older Ford Mustang because of a loud exhaust and the driver spinning his tires, according to sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust. Deputies lost sight of the car west of Chehalis but about 30 minutes later, the individual was found walking on the 100 block of Devereese Road and was contacted, according to Aust. Carsten was arrested for attempting to elude.
WRECK
• A 40-year-old man from SeaTac was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after a rollover wreck outside Centralia on Saturday evening. Aid and law enforcement called about 5:30 p.m. to the 1700 block of Salzer Valley Road found a power pole broken and the driver of a BMW ejected into some briars, according to responders. “We think the guy was traveling at a very high rate of speed,” Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Cmdr. Steve Aust said. His injuries were described as severe. His name was not released.