Drive
carefully; kids back in school
PASCO (Tuesday 8-22-00)
--Pasco police will join departments across
Washington to keep an eye out for speeders during
the first two weeks of school.
They'll be parked in
school zones an hour before and after school each
day, said Officer Brad Gregory.
School starts in Pasco
Aug. 29.
"We warn drivers to
slow down when they enter a school zone," Gregory
said.
Idaho girls'
car plunges off viewpoint above
Prosser
PROSSER (Thursday
8-24-00) --Highway patrolmen say a northbound car
driven by
Priscilla E.
Chapa, 21, of
Caldwell, Idaho, failed to negotiate a curve at
7:25 p.m. today and rolled several times, coming to
rest 230 feet down an embankment below the
viewpoint on SR 221.
She reportedly was
taken to Kadlec Hospital, Richland, with multiple
compound fractures to her arm, plus head and back
injuries.
A passenger in the car,
J. Amalia
Padilla, 21, of
Nampa, Idaho, was taken to Prosser Memorial
Hospital with head injuries and possible internal
injuries, patrolmen said.
Both women were wearing
their seatbelts. The accident totaled Chapa's 2000
Toyota.
Yakima police
seek armed robber
YAKIMA (Monday 8-21-00)
--Police are looking for an armed robber who
entered Key Bank, 102 E. Yakima Ave., and made off
with an undisclosed amount of money at 9:45 a.m.
today, according to reports.
Police said lone male
approached a teller and demanded money. The suspect
reportedly didn't display a weapon, but told bank
employees he was armed.
After scooping up the
cash, he fled.
Police said the suspect
is a light-skinned black or Hispanic about six feet
tall and 160 pounds.
Witnesses said the
robber wears his hair very short on the sides and a
little longer on the top. He also sports a thin
mustache and thin sideburns. He's got brown eyes
and is 25-30 years old, witnesses
said.
Yakima Police Sgt. Mike
Merryman notified the Yakima office of the FBI
regarding the incident, according to
reports.
Two nailed
for assault #1
SUNNYSIDE (Sunday
8-20-00) --Sunnyside Police have arrested two men
and charged them with stabbing a third early today,
according to Det. Sam Ramos.
Officers responded to a
call at 4 a.m. to 1700 Cascade Way, where they
arrested suspects who were leaving the
area.
Arrested for first
degree assault in connection with the incident were
Jerardo
C.
Bautista,
20, and Valentin
Palomarez,
23.
The pair were taken to
Sunnyside jail for an overnight stay and will be
transported to Yakima County Jail tomorrow. YVN
will attempt to obtain their mug shots and other
relevant information.
Francisco
Morales-Medina, 36, the victim, was taken to
Sunnyside Community Hospital, where he underwent
surgery for a stab wound to the chest. Officials
said Medina was in critical but stable condition
following the incident.
Two arrested
on drug charges
SUNNYSIDE (Thursday
8-17-00) --Sunnyside Police arrested two men today
and charged them with possession and delivery of
illegal drugs, officers reported.
Following a tip, Det.
Sam Ramos said cops executed a warrant and searched
1223 S. 14th St. at 5:30 p.m. Detectives said they
found 16 grams of cocaine packaged for delivery and
80 grams of marijuana.
Arrested at the house
were Virginio
Flores, 18, and
a juvenile
male, 16,
police said.
Flores was booked on
charges of delivery and possession of cocaine, and
marijuana possession, all within 1,000 feet of a
school. He was transported to Yakima County Jail to
await arraignment in Superior Court.
The juvenile male was
arrested at the same time and place and booked into
the Yakima County Juvenile Justice Center on
similar charges, Ramos said.
Pasco PD
looking for volunteer reserve
officer
PASCO (Monday 8-16-00)
--If you've always wanted to become a non-paid cop,
here's your chance to try.
Pasco PD is looking for
a volunteer police reserve officer, who must be a
U.S. citizen, be 21 or older, and have a high
school diploma or GED. Applicants will have to pass
a physical agility test, an oral interview, a
complete background investigation, and a polygraph
exam.
Qualifying individuals
who are accepted must complete a 270-hour reserve
police academy accredited by the Washington
Criminal Justice Training Commission. The academy,
at Columbia Basin College, Pasco, begins the first
Tuesday in January 2001 and ends in
April.
Upon completion, the
reserve officer will participate in two training
meetings a month, and work a total 16 hours.
Reserve officers participate in regular department
training and work at a variety of community events.
Reserves also work patrol and participate in
special department projects.
Apply at the Pasco PD.
Those with questions may call Reserve Lt. Mark
Armstrong at (509) 544-3080, Ext. 6062, or call the
PD at (509) 545-3421. Women and minorities are
encouraged to apply.
Two juveniles
charged with burglary
SUNNYSIDE (Sunday
8-13-00) --Police arrested two young burglars after
they tripped the alarm at the JC Penney store at
2:25 a.m. today, officers reported.
As cops arrived, two
juveniles were seen running away from the store.
With help from the state patrolmen and sheriff's
deputies, the pair were taken into custody in the
2400 block of E. Edison Avenue.
Police reported $218.97
in merchandise was taken from the store. Police
charged the two with first degree burglary. YVN
will attempt to obtain their names, mug shots, and
other relevant information.
Two injured
on Outlook Road
OUTLOOK (Thursday
8-10-00) --Two women were injured in a two-car
collision on Outlook Road north of Hudson Road at
4:40 p.m. today, according to Sheriff's
deputies.
Officers said an '85
Toyota driven south by
Clemente
Barajas-Goribay,
25, of Sunnyside, was blinded by a cloud of dust
kicked up by the truck she was attempting to pass.
When Goribay moved
across the centerline to see if she had a clear
shot at passing, her car collided with a northbound
'96 Honda driven by
Hester
Groeneweg, 39,
of Outlook. Groeneweg's car went off the road, down
an embankment and into a grape field. Both vehicles
were traveling about 40 mph.
Deputies said Goribay
suffered a broken left leg. She was transported to
Sunnyside Community Hospital. Her passenger,
Maricella
Medina, 19, of
Sunnyside, received facial cuts. She was the only
accident victim not wearing her seatbelt, deputies
said.
Groeneweg and her
passenger, Ryan
Groeneweg, 2,
reportedly were not injured in the accident. Her
car received an estimated $5,000 in
damages.
Two injured
in Midvale accident
SUNNYSIDE (Tuesday
8-08-00) --Three men received serious injuries in a
two-car collision in the 1000 block of Midvale Road
at 4:20 p.m. today.
Troopers said an '82
Chev pickup truck driven by
Rickey J.
Bruhn, 45, of
Sunnyside, made a right turn in front of an '87
Ford Taurus driven by
Robert R.
Rodriguez, 20,
of Mabton and the vehicles collided.
Bruhn's pickup was
totaled. He reportedly received head and chest
injuries and was taken to Sunnyside Community
Hospital.
Rodriguez' car was
totaled. He also received head and chest injuries
and was taken to Sunnyside Community
Hospital. Reyes
R. Ornelas, 30,
a passenger in Rodriguez' car, received leg and
chest injuries and a broken pelvis, troopers said.
He was transported to Harborview Medical Center,
Seattle.
None of the men were
wearing seatbelts, according to state
patrolmen.
3 nailed on
robbery charges
SUNNYSIDE (Friday
8-04-00) --Police have arrested three adult males
and charged them with robbing another at the Valley
View Market, 106 W. Lincoln Ave., officers said
today.
Police said one suspect
approached Elisio Lopez, 37, of Sunnyside, and
asked him to get the three some beer. When Lopez
refused, one of the thugs hit him, police said.
Lopez tried to get away by backing out of the
store's parking lot, but his pickup stalled.
A second thug tried to
pull Lopez out of his vehicle, but was unable to do
so, officers. said. That's when the third thug
reportedly stepped in and jerked Lopez from his
pickup truck.
At that point the three
reportedly assaulted Lopez by kicking and hitting
him. Before they left, they reportedly tried to get
Lopez' wallet.
Witnesses called the PD
and said they knew the three thugs' identity. After
talking with the witness, four suspects were
brought into the PD for questioning. Three admitted
to the robbery and were taken into custody, police
said.
Arrested in connection
with the robbery were:
Click each name for
more information concerning each of the trio. The
paper's policy is to provide such information only
about those arrested for crimes directly affecting
other persons, as opposed to victimless
crimes.
Truck tragedy
kills woman
BUMPING LAKE (Friday
8-04-00) --A woman was killed here at 7 p.m. today
when a truck pinned her to a tree, according to the
Washington State Patrol.
Killed in the incident
was Pamela A.
Ross, 36, of
Tacoma.
Officers said she was
standing outside the truck and guiding her driver
husband, Brian
Ross, 44, as he
backed up their '80 GMC pickup. The truck suddenly
rolled over and she was pinned between it and a
tree.
The truck received
$2,000 in damages in the tragedy.
Car thief
suspect nailed in Sunnyside
SUNNYSIDE (Friday
8-04-00) --A Wenatchee man was arrested by
Sunnyside Police here at 4: 50 p.m. today for
stealing a car belonging to a Utah man, officers
said today.
Police said
Santiago
Mendoza
Acevedo
(click for pix), 22, of Wenatchee, was arrested for
possession of a stolen vehicle, obstructing a
police officer and third degree escape.
He reportedly stole a
car belonging to Gay Phillip, of Milford,
Utah.
After police noted the
vehicle Acevedo was driving was stolen, they said
Acevedo took off running northwest from Park Drive.
Cops found him a short time later in the 400 Block
of West Edison Ave. They said he jumped into the
canal and swam across but was arrested on the other
side.
Cops said Acevdeo is
also wanted on two felony warrants, one for being
an accomplice to second degree burglary one for
first degree possession of stolen
property.
Police said Acevedo
will be sent to Yakima County Jail to await
arraignment.
Officer Chico Rodriguez
said Acevedo was apprehended with the help of
several police officers and community citizens. "A
thank-you goes out to you for your help, Rodriguez
said.