Editor’s note: The Law Enforcement report is based on information submitted by the Philomath Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police. All calls for service may not be included. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. Individuals are identified in the log only if arrested on felony charges. Juveniles are not identified. People arrested or suspected of crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.
Philomath Police Department
DAILY REPORTS
FRIDAY, DEC. 8
• 12:59 a.m. — Police assisted at the scene of a sawmill fire at Interfor on Industrial Way. See separate story.
• 9:45 a.m. — Police responded to a verbal disturbance at Philomath Self Storage related to a couple involved in a dispute over property.
• 2:19 p.m. — Police spoke by telephone with a resident on Main Street who reported being defrauded out of $2,500 from a man buying a piece of furniture that had been up for sale.
• 3:34 p.m. —Police responded to a disturbance on North Ninth Street involving a woman who refused to leave a residence when requested and locked herself in a bathroom. The woman came out for the police, packed up her things and said she would leave.
Other calls: Police responses included a dog barking at 2:50 a.m. (South Seventh and Main Street) and a welfare check at 11:15 p.m. (North Ninth Street and Main Street). PPD reported one traffic stop.
SATURDAY, DEC. 9
• 2:15 a.m. — Police performed a traffic stop on a vehicle on Southwest Reservoir Road and Southwest 53rd Street that was allegedly involved in a robbery at WinCo Foods. Ultimately, one of the occupants was arrested by the Corvallis Police Department on third-degree robbery and theft charges.
• 9:19 a.m. — Police arrested a 38-year-old Philomath man on a warrant in the parking lot of the Philomath Police Department. He was cited in lieu of custody and released.
• 3:51 p.m. — Police responded to a single-vehicle crash at Applegate Street and South Seventh Street. No injuries were reported and the vehicle was towed from the scene.
• 6:11 p.m. — Police reported an offense of eluding in a vehicle in the 800 block of South 35th Street, Corvallis. No other information was provided other than a report was taken and assigned a case number.
Other calls: Police responses included a noise disturbance at 2:54 a.m. (Applegate Street), welfare check at 10:14 a.m. (Pioneer Street), traffic complaint at 5:54 p.m. (James Street) and a non-911 issue (Applegate Street and South 13th Street). PPD reported four traffic stops.
SUNDAY, DEC. 10
• 12:32 p.m. — Police assisted the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at the scene of a single-vehicle crash on Highway 20 and Woods Creek Road. See separate story.
• 12:57 p.m. — Police responded to a report of a hit-and-run in the 3000 block of Applegate Street. After investigating, a 56-year-old Philomath man was cited for failure to perform the duties of a driver resulting in property damage.
• 10:21 p.m. — Police assisted the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at the scene of a crash at Fern Road and Powder House Road. See separate story.
Other calls: Police responses included a traffic hazard at 6:30 p.m. (South 13th Street and Applegate Street). PPD reported one traffic stop.
MONDAY, DEC. 11
• 9:37 a.m. — Police responded to a crash in the 2300 block of Main Street. No injuries were reported.
• 11:50 a.m. — Police responded to a report of burglary involving the theft of a 5-gallon gas can filled with unleaded gas from a storage shed on a Main Street rental property. The unknown suspect had unscrewed hardware for a padlock to get into the shed. The gas can and fuel had an estimated value of $50. It was determined that the theft occurred sometime between Dec. 9-11.
• 11:47 p.m. — Police arrested a 34-year-old Philomath woman on a bench warrant for failure to appear in court in the 100 block of North Eighth Street.
Other calls: Police responses included a suspicious circumstance at 7:29 a.m. (North 16th Lane), suspicious person involving a man going through trash at 7:37 a.m. (Main Street), traffic hazard at 3:37 p.m. (Main Street) and a suspicious circumstance at 11:56 p.m. (Pioneer Street). PPD reported one traffic stop.
TUESDAY, DEC. 12
• 9:22 a.m. — Police responded to a report of theft at a North 12th Street residence involving a Christmas card in a mailbox that had been opened and a $20 bill intended for a child had been stolen.
• 11:15 a.m. — Police responded to a crash at Main Street and North 14th Street. No injuries were reported.
• 1:04 p.m. — Police responded to a report of a hit-and-run involving a vehicle that had body damage on the rear driver’s side area. Police were told that the vehicle had been used to go from a Melville Cres residence to the Philomath Post Office and the victim was unsure where the damage might have occurred. Police checked with the post office, which has no security cameras in the parking area, and had no other suspect information.
Other calls: Police responses included a welfare check at 1:21 p.m. (Pioneer Street), domestic disturbance at 4:13 p.m. (South 19th Street), hazard on a sidewalk at 4:39 p.m. (Main Street), a prowler at 9:54 p.m. (North 19th Street) and a suspicious person at 10:21 p.m. (Applegate Street). In addition, police assisted the Benton County Sheriff’s Office on a call at 4:42 a.m. (Bellfountain Road and Souhwest 53rd Street, Corvallis). PPD reported no traffic stops.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13
• No calls of significance were reported.
Other calls: Police responses included citizen contact at 12:05 a.m. (Southwest Philomath Boulevard, Corvallis), parking complaint at 10:40 a.m. (South 17th Street), mental health situation at 11:41 a.m., trespassing at 1:41 p.m. (Applegate Street) and minor in possession at 10:50 p.m. (Southwest 53rd Street, Corvallis). In addition, police assisted the Benton County Sheriff’s Office on a call at 12:47 a.m. (Southwest Nash Avenue and Southwest 53rd Street, Corvallis). PPD reported no traffic stops.
THURSDAY, DEC. 14
• 12:43 p.m. — Police responded to a crash in the 1700 block of Main Street. No injuries were reported.
Other calls: Police responses included a parking complaint at 2:32 p.m. (Richard Place). PPD reported no traffic stops.
FOLLOW-UP REPORTS
TUESDAY, DEC. 5
• 2:21 p.m. — Police took a report of fraud involving a Philomath resident who had been contacted via telephone about a credit card charge and reached the point of being convinced to withdraw $30,000 from a bank account. When the caller requested that Bitcoin be purchased with the funds, it became clear that it was a scam. The person reporting the interaction did not lose any money but was concerned that bank information had been compromised and requested a police report case number for the credit bureaus.
THURSDAY, DEC. 7
• 2:30 a.m. — Police arrested a 51-year-old Philomath man on a misdemeanor charge of fourth-degree assault following the investigation of a report of domestic abuse.
• 9:59 a.m. — Police arrested Scott Sanford McGeoy, 69, of Newport, on a felony driving while suspended charge after being pulled over on South 10th Street.
• 1:44 p.m. — Police arrested a 52-year-old Philomath man on a warrant for contempt of court out of Philomath Municipal Court. The man was issued a citation in lieu of custody.
• 7:14 p.m. — Police arrested a 40-year-old Lebanon woman on two warrants for contempt of court. The woman was issued citations in lieu of custody.
Benton County Sheriff’s Office
RECENT CALLS
TUESDAY, NOV. 28
• 4:05 p.m. — Deputies took a report from a Philomath-area resident about a fraudulent Verizon account that had been opened in the person’s name and had an account statement of $4,310. A case number was assigned so the reporting person could submit it to Verizon’s fraud department.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 29
• 8:06 p.m. — Deputies arrested a 24-year-old Eugene man at a Philomath-area residence on two misdemeanor charges of second-degree criminal trespass.
TUESDAY, DEC. 5
• 12:14 p.m. — Deputies took a report of third-degree theft from a Philomath-area resident involving various items that had been taken sometime in the previous two days. In addition, the victim reported that the unknown person had perfectly organized a knife collection. The victim had a couple of suspects in mind but those individuals could not be reached.
SUNDAY, DEC. 10
• 10:20 p.m. — Deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash at Fern Road and Powder House Road involving a Toyota Sequoia driven by a 55-year-old Eugene man that went off a curb and hit a power pole. Speed, road conditions and weather were determined to be contributing factors. See separate story.
Oregon State Police
FATAL CRASHES
SATURDAY, DEC. 9
• 11:51 p.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 99E about 6 miles northeast of Keizer that took the lives of Mario Cantor-Chocolate, 36, of Canby, and Eva Arango-Cortes, 44, of Salem. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that a Ford Explorer driven by Cantor-Chocolate was headed north and crossed the centerline to hit head-on a Toyota Highlander driven by Arango-Cortes. Both individuals were declared deceased at the scene. A passenger in the Toyota, a 35-year-old Salem woman, was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13
• 1:37 a.m. — Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Highway 126E about 8 miles east of Vida in Lane County that took the life of Delbert Hughes Jr., 57, of McKenzie Bridge. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated Hughes was driving a Saturn sedan east when it left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck a telephone pole. Hughes Jr., was declared deceased at the scene.
SATURDAY, DEC. 16
• 7:14 p.m. — Troopers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 97 about 5 miles south of Redmond that took the lives of Ghandi Lakshmi Sai Yerramsetti, 23, of Redmond, and Christy Lee Bigelow, 29, of Bend. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated that a Ford Econoline van driven by Yerramsetti was headed north on Highway 97 and drove onto the shoulder for an unknown reason. The driver lost control of the vehicle and drove across the northbound lanes, the center median and into the southbound “A” lane and collided with a Jeep Cherokee. Yerramsetti, the van’s driver, and Bigelow, a passenger in the Jeep, were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Jeep, a 32-year-old Bend man, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. During the crash investigation, Highway 97 was closed and traffic detoured. A suspected impaired driver struck an Oregon Department of Transportation vehicle that was diverting traffic at 61st Street and the suspect, a 33-year-old Bend man, was arrested by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office for driving under the influence of intoxicants. The operator of the ODOT vehicle was evaluated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. An additional crash with no injuries reported occurred in the southbound lane near the crash scene and a 20-year-old woman (city of residence not reported) was arrested for DUII.