VICTIM TAKES ON CAR PROWLER
• An 18-year-old Centralia man exchanged punches with a stranger he found prowling his car early this morning on the 700 block of Field Avenue. Police called about 4:35 a.m. learned the owner of the car pushed the subject to the ground as he tried to flee and “the fight was on,” Sgt. Kurt Reichert said. But the 18-year-old was struck and left dazed, so the prowler got away, according to police. The would-be thief was described as a scruffy, thin-faced male, Reichert said.
SHERIFF: MAN THROWS GIRLFRIEND ONTO FLOOR
• A 46-year-old Chehalis man was arrested last night after he allegedly threw his girlfriend on a concrete floor and tried to choke her during a fight. A deputy called about 11:40 p.m. to the 600 block of Centralia-Alpha Road east of Chehalis found the 26-year-old woman had bumps on the back and front of her head but she declined aid, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. Gerald R. Ebner was booked into the Lewis County Jail for second-degree assault, according to the sheriff’s office.
LOCKED UP INSTEAD OF RUN OVER
• Centralia police responded about 11:15 p.m. yesterday to the 2300 block of North Pearl Street where a drunk man was laying in the middle of the road and trying to pick fights with motorists as they passed by him, according to the Centralia Police Department. Jacob L. Hyde, 25, of Centralia, was arrested and booked in to the Lewis County Jail for disorderly conduct, according to police.
COFFEE STAND BREAK-IN
• An employee arriving to a coffee stand on the 1500 block of Bishop Road in Chehalis about 4:30 a.m. today discovered someone had broken in and stole the cash drawer containing about $200, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
TOLEDO-AREA THEFTS
• A deputy took a report yesterday afternoon about a 2400-watt Yamaha generator stolen from a pump house on the 1500 block of state Route 505 in Toledo. The victim, a Seattle man, said it must have happened sometime since the beginning of September, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The loss is $1,100.
• A Toledo resident called the sheriff’s office yesterday when she discovered someone went into her unsecured barn on the 400 block of Tucker Road sometime during the previous two weeks and left with numerous motorcycle engine pieces, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
FRAUD REPORT
• A Centralia officer took a report yesterday from a man regarding his stolen debit card being used around town.
VANDALISM
• Police took a report from a bank on the 1200 block of South Gold Street in Centralia around noon yesterday after pry marks were found on its ATM machine. A repair person found the damage after the ATM stopped working, according to the Centralia Police Department.
CHEHALIS CAR PROWLS CONTINUE
• Chehalis police took another vehicle prowl report just after 4 a.m. today, this one at the 1000 block of Southwest 20th Street. Missing were documents with account information for the truck, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
• Yesterday, police were called about three vehicle prowls that occurred overnight in the area of the 400 blocks of Southwest 15th and 16th Avenues in Chehalis.
ELDERLY DRIVER SERIOUSLY HURT IN CRASH
• An 81-year-old Mossyrock woman was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after a two-vehicle collision at Jackson Highway and Avery Road East yesterday morning. A deputy arriving after the 10:40 a.m. accident south of Chehalis found both vans were totaled after the woman ran a stop sign onto Jackson Highway, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the other vehicle who was traveling north on Jackson Highway was unhurt, as was his 5-year-old passenger, but his 6-year-old passenger sustained facial abrasions, according to the sheriff’s office. The woman, whose name was not released, was taken to Providence Centralia Hospital with serious injuries before being airlifted to the Seattle hospital, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.
CENTRALIA KITCHEN FIRE
• A forgotten fry pan of tater tots and cooking oil led to a kitchen fire yesterday west of Centralia that filled a home with smoke and scorched a wall and cabinets. Firefighters called about 3:30 p.m. to the 2500 block of Kristine Court learned the resident was alerted by a smoke detector. He took his young daughter next door, tried to get a fire extinguisher and returned to pour salt on the stove, Riverside Fire Authority Capt. Terry Ternan said. Ternan said smoke was coming from the eves of the home when they arrived, but the flames were out. He wasn’t sure if the man used a fire extinguisher, but said firefighters recommend people keep one in their kitchens. Salt might work, but baking soda is better, Ternan said. Another strategy is to put a lid on the pan if that’s possible, he said.