Editor’s note: This report is based on information submitted by the Oregon State Police. All crashes with fatalities may not be included. The status of incidents might change after further investigation.
SUNDAY, MAY 19
• 2:30 p.m. — Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on Highway 126 in Lane County that took the life of Ruth Anne Romoser, 80, of Springfield. OSP’s preliminary investigation indicated a Honda CRV driven by an 83-year-old Eugene man was headed east on Highway 126 when it left the highway for unknown reasons, struck a tree and landed in an adjacent creek. Romoser, a passenger, was declared deceased at the scene. The driver was transported with injuries to a local hospital.
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OSP Operations
WEDNESDAY, MAY 8
• Oregon State Police discovered 10,000 pills suspected to be laced with fentanyl in the trunk of a vehicle during a traffic stop at 9:50 a.m. on Interstate in Linn County. Pulled over for a violation, the trooper suspected possible criminal activity and a K-9 was deployed, which alerted to the presence of illegal substances. The investigation is ongoing.
TUESDAY, MAY 14
• Oregon State Police found 4.6 pounds of fentanyl, 1 pound of phenylcyclohexyl piperidine (PCP), 84 grams of suspected methamphetamine and 14.2 grams of cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Salem. Pulled over for a violation, the trooper observed contraband in the vehicle and suspicious behavior by its occupants. The drugs were found during a consent search. The driver, Edgar Izaguirre Torres, 33, city of residence unknown, and the passenger, Marvin Fabian Oseguera Escoto, 19, of Auburn, Washington, were arrested for distribution of a controlled substance. The investigation is ongoing with additional charges referred to the prosecuting agency. Escoto was additionally arrested on a California warrant for distribution of a controlled substance.
TUESDAY, MAY 21
• Oregon State Police pulled over a vehicle at 8:40 a.m. on Interstate 5 about 3 miles south of Yoncalla in Douglas County for a traffic violation. During the stop and while the trooper suspected criminal activity, the driver and passenger fled on foot. Both were detained a short distance from the vehicle. A K-9 was deployed and alerted to the presence of illegal substances. A search warrant was granted and 42,000 suspected fentanyl-laced pills and approximately 8 pounds of fentanyl powder were found. The driver, Lauro Parra Moreno, 25, of Pittsburgh, California, was arrested for misdemeanor elude, second-degree criminal trespass, second-degree possession of a controlled substance, and delivery of a controlled substance. The passenger, Jesus Acosta Parra, 20, of Pittsburgh, California, was arrested for second-degree criminal trespass, second-degree delivery of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of a controlled substance. The investigation is ongoing.
THURSDAY, MAY 23
• Oregon State Police received notification from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office that the body of Gurjinder Singh Grewal, 48, was recovered from the Willamette River at 10:37 a.m. The man’s body was found by fishermen between Oregon City and West Linn. OSP reports that there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the recovery but that an investigation is ongoing. OSP had issued an alert on Feb. 8 that Grewal had gone missing near the St. Paul bridge on Highway 219 in Marion County, last seen that day walking on the bridge at around 11 a.m. His vehicle, a Honda Pilot, was found just south of the bridge.
• Oregon State Police pulled over a vehicle at approximately 11 a.m. for a traffic violation on Interstate 5 about 3 miles south of the Corvallis-Lebanon exit. During a consent search of the vehicle, the trooper located 136 grams (about one-third of a pound) of fentanyl powder and mannitol, which is a common cutting agent for fentanyl. The driver, Meslin Danexi Gamez Barrientos, 30, of Oakland, California, and the adult passenger, Maryori Estefani Ochoa Chapas, 30, of Oakland, California, were arrested for possession and delivery of a controlled substance and endangering the welfare of a minor. A 6-month-old infant in the vehicle was placed in protective custody by the Oregon Department of Human Services. The investigation is ongoing.