Police blotter – February 2020

Following are excerpts of activities reported by the Jefferson police department:

Saturday, Feb. 29: Routine activity reported.

Friday, Feb. 28: At 5:29 pm the owner of Cambridge Apartments reported the strong smell of marijuana at one of the buildings. The officer is investigating. At 10:29 pm an officer checked on an wanted male subject at a residence in the 600 block of W. Monroe St. They male answered the door and officers immediately smelled burned marijuana coming from inside the residence. Joshua Jeffrey Michael Geigel, 28, of Jefferson was arrested on an outstanding warrant for providing alcohol to persons under age (aggravated misdemeanor)*. The owner of the residence gave consent for the officers to search the residence due to the marijuana smell. Officers located and seized  for testing items consistent with personal marijuana use. Future charges against Geigel are pending lab results. 

Thursday, Feb. 27: At 7:23 am staff at County Wide Electric reported an overnight burglary at the business. Two office computers and power tools were taken. The business is conducting an inventory to determine what else may be missing. The business has cameras which captured the vehicle and a male subject during the crime. Officers are investigating. At 3:42 pm a caller advised of subjects shooting a bow and arrows in the yard at a residence in the 300 block of E. Lincoln Way. The officer spoke to the subjects and advised this was against city ordinance and they would need to leave the city limits to do so.

Wednesday, Feb. 26: At 11:23 am staff at the United Methodist Church reported the theft of a sign banner. The banner was hanging outside the church when taken. It is valued at $89. At 5 pm officers assisted Motor Vehicle Enforcement officers with traffic control during the delivery of a prefabricated home on N. Cedar St.

Tuesday, Feb. 25: At 2:34 pm staff at Dollar General reported a male customer had left the business without paying for a pack of cigarettes. The officer is reviewing video to develop a suspect in the theft. At 10:13 pm an adult female spoke to an officer about a sex assault occurring in Jefferson on 02/05. The officer is investigating.

Monday, Feb. 24: At 5:10 pm Kathy Pittman reported a backing accident in the 600 block of S. Olive St. Pittman’s 2019 Ford Edge was legally parked when it was struck by Elise Jablonski, who was backing her 2014 Chevrolet Traverse from a private driveway. Damage to Pittman’s vehicle was estimated at $800. Damage to Jablonski’s vehicle was estimated at $200. At 6:32 pm a complainant reported the strong odor of natural gas near Garfield and Olive Sts. Officers arrived and located a leaking gas meter in the area. The officers stood by in the area with the Jefferson fire department until the utility company arrived in the area. ***** An officer has requested arrest warrants for Alexander Ruben Basurto, 27, and Juan Angel Guzman, 32, both of Jefferson, for harassment- third degree (serious misdemeanor)*. The charges stem from an investigation that began 02/19 after Basurto and Guzman allegedly chased a Jefferson resident in his vehicle near Greene County Middle School.

Sunday, Feb. 23: Routine activity reported.

Saturday, Feb. 22: Routine activity reported.

Friday, Feb. 21: At 11:34 am an officer investigated a backing accident in the parking lot at Hy-Vee. Barb Walker was backing a 2018 Ford Transit van owned by Enterprise FM Trust from a parking space. She backed into a parked 2008 GMC Sierra owned by Kenneth Pederson of Jefferson. Damage to the van was estimated at $2,000. Damage to Pederson’s vehicle was estimated at $1,500. At 5:28 pm an officer arrested Marlene Anderson, 50, of Jefferson on a Calhoun County arrest warrant for obstruction of a court order*.

Thursday, Feb. 20: At 5:48 pm a complaint reported a suspicious male hanging around the apartments at 1000 West Adams Street. Officers arrived and witnessed a male and female in an apartment. Officers knew an active order of protection was in effect for the couple. The officers arrested Ryan Douglas Patterson, 39, and Nicole Terese Borkowski, 35, both of Jefferson, on charges of violation of a protective order (simple misdemeanor)*.

Wednesday, Feb. 19: At 7:20 am Jose Trevino stopped at the LEC and reported he had struck a deer in the 1600 block of Westwood Drive. His 2013 Ford Explorer had received an estimated $1,500 in damages. At 8:18 am a complainant reported a van occupied by two males had chased his vehicle around Jefferson. He advised he was near Greene County Middle School. The officers located the van and performed a traffic stop. The officer spoke to the two male occupants who have an ongoing issue with the complainant. The officer is speaking to other witnesses and charges are pending. At 9 am a complainant reported her bank account had been compromised after a data breach at the Ames institution. She needed a police report for her bank to return her funds. ***** An officer has applied for arrest warrants after receiving lab results on items seized during a search warrant on 2/12 at 206 N. Oak St. Warrants are requested for Nicholas Scott Weber, 19, of Jefferson for possession of marijuana- first offense (serious misdemeanor) and possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor)*.

Tuesday, Feb. 18: At 12:20 pm staff at Greene County High School advised a student had been caught with a vaping device at the school. The officer cited Harvick Nathaniel Beals  for minor using vaping device.

Monday, Feb. 17: At 12:05 pm a complainant requested an officer at ER, where he was a patient. He advised the officer that he had been assaulted and held against his will by subjects at a residence in the 100 block of E. Clark St since 02/14. The officer is investigating the report. At 1:32 pm staff at Dollar General requested an officer after uncovering a theft by an employee. The business learned that a female employee had pretended to scan items for a customer, but had purposely not scanned the items, therefore not charging the customer. The total loss was $35. The officer and the business are working to check on past shifts to see if this had occurred at other times.

Sunday, Feb. 16: At 11:21 pm an officer conducted a traffic stop on Highway 30 near Orchard Ave. During the stop the officer learned there was an outstanding Dallas County warrant for the driver for failure to appear. Dallas County declined to extradite the male and he was allowed to leave.

Saturday, Feb. 15: At 6:09 pm a traffic stop was conducted in the 200 block of E. McKinley St. During the stop the officer located several drug -related items. The items were seized for testing and the driver, Julie Wells, was cited for driving while license suspended. 

Friday, Feb. 14: At 1:12 pm officers responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of E. Monroe St and S. Locust St. Cassie Fowler was northbound on Locust driving her 2013 Chrysler Town band Country minivan. Sherry Graven was eastbound on Monroe driving her 2017 Chrysler Pacifica when she struck Fowler’s vehicle in the intersection. Graven was cited for failure to yield to the vehicle on the right. Damage to her vehicle was estimated at $2,000. Damage to Fowler’s vehicle was estimated at $5,000. At 2:07 pm an officer was called to Oly’s Corner to investigate a possible theft. At 3:04 pm an officer responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident on Highway 30 and Wild Rose Lane. William Peters was westbound on HIghway 30 driving a 2011 Toyota RAV4. Darrell Stark was eastbound driving a 20012 Chevrolet Silverado. As the drivers met each other, a metal lid on a toolbox in Stark’s vehicle blew off, striking Peters’ vehicle on the driver’s side. Damage was estimated at $2,000. Damage to the toolbox lid was estimated at $200. At 7:52 pm an officer conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of N. Elm and W. Clark St with Christopher Long. During the stop a probable cause search was conducted and suspected drug paraphernalia was located. Charges are pending lab results. At 10:37 pm an officer conducted a traffic stop in the 200 block of W. Gallup Rd. The officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage while speaking with the driver, and after concluding an investigation the officer arrested Kent Allen Poage for operating while intoxicated- first offense*. He was also cited for unsafe entry onto the roadway. 

Thursday, Feb. 13: At 11:04 am Greene County sherriff Jack Williams advised officers of apparent stolen property he found in the ditch in the 1500 block of County Road E-57 (290th St) in Greenbrier Township. The items consisted of paperwork, metal ammunition boxes, ammunition and other random office material. It was determined the items belonged to the Jefferson VFW post. Officers arrived at the VFW post to find damage to the rear door of the building. It also appeared the building had been rummaged through. An officer is working with the VFW to determine exactly what was stolen from the building. At 1:58 pm an officer responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of S. Locust and E. Madison Sts. Gladys Taylor of Jefferson was northbound on Locust driving her 2010 Chevy Equinox. Sean Sebourn was eastbound on Madison driving his 2013 Mazda. Taylor struck the rear of Sebourn’s vehicle in the intersection. There were no injuries. Sebourn was cited for failure to yield to the vehicle on right. Damage to his vehicle was estimated at $3,500. Damage to Taylor’s vehicle was estimated at $5,000. ***** As a result of an investigation that began 2/12, arrest warrants have been requested for Ryan Patterson, 39, of Jefferson for trespass- first degree and violation of a no contact order*.

Wednesday, Feb. 12: At 9:44 am a complainant reported a violation of a no contact order occurring in the 400 block of W. Head St. An officer is investigating. At 1:51 pm while on patrol an officer located Nicholas Weber, 19, walking near his home. The officer knew of an active Greene County arrest warrant for Weber on a charge of probation violation*. Weber entered his residence and locked himself inside. After repeated instructions to open the door without compliance, officers made entry into the residence and placed Weber under arrest. While inside the residence, officers detected the smell of marijuana. Officers secured the residence while seeking a search warrant. Officers executed the search warrant at 4:07 pm and recovered suspected marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Charges are pending on lab results.

Tuesday, Feb. 11: At 8:08 pm a traffic stop in the 100 block of N. Locust St resulted in the arrest of Seth Michael Butler, 31, of Jefferson for driving while license barred*.

Monday, Feb. 10: At 2:10 pm a mother spoke with an officer about her son being bullied at Greene County Middle School. She advised the school is working to correct the issue, but she feels it is not working. The officer advised he would speak to the school and the other child’s parents about the issue. At 4:50 pm a grandmother spoke with an officer about her granddaughter being constantly bullied at Greene County High School. She had reported the issue to the high school earlier in the day. The officer advised he will follow up with school officials dealing with the issue and offer any assistance needed.

Sunday, Feb. 9: At 8:55 am a complainant reported suspicious subjects at 1000 E. Lincoln Way. The officer made contact with subjects, who had become stuck in the snow while turning around overnight. They had walked home and returned today to retrieve the stuck vehicle. The officer assisted by helping them free the vehicle from the snowbank. At 8:56 am staff at Casey’s General Store reported a gas drive off in the amount of $101.16. The officer is working to identify the vehicle and driver. At 7:13 pm a complainant reported a drone flying after dark over the 700 block of S. Locust St.  ***** An officer has requested an arrest warrant for Ryan Douglas Patterson, 39, of Jefferson for violation of a protective order (simple misdemeanor)*. ***** An officer has requested arrest warrants for Justin Ray Lopez, 21, of Jefferson for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver (class D felony), failure to affix tax stamp (class D felony), possession of a controlled substance- third offense (aggravated misdemeanor), and child endangerment (aggravated misdemeanor)*. The charges are the result of a narcotics investigation that began in January and ended with a search warrant executed 1/21 at 308 N. Pinet St. ***** Officers issued 12 snow emergency parking violation citations during this reporting period.

Saturday, Feb. 8: At 11:13 pm an officer performed  a traffic stop with a speeding vehicle in the 1800 Block of N. Elm St. The officer’s investigation led to the arrest of Brent Tracy Stoner, 56, of Jefferson for OWI- second offense (aggravated misdemeanor)*. He was also cited for excessive speed.

Friday, Feb. 7: At 1:06 am a traffic stop at Washington and Maple Sts resulted in the arrest of Juan Angel Guzman, 32, of Jefferson for operating while intoxicated- first offense*. He was also cited for driving while license suspended and failure to provide proof of financial liability. At 8:08 am an officer investigated a two-vehicle property damage accident at Park and Olive Sts. Elizabeth Milham of Bagley was northbound on Olive St driving her 2018 Dodge Durango. Omega Sang of Jefferson was eastbound on Park St driving her 2007 Buick Lucerne. The vehicles collided in the intersection. Sang advised she applied her brakes but could not stop due to road conditions. Sang was cited for failure to yield to the vehicle on the right. Damage to her vehicle was estimated at $1,500. Damage to Milham’s vehicle was estimated at $2,000. At 10:10 am a complainant reported the theft of two LP tanks from his camper, which was parked in the 600 block of N. Oak St. The tanks are valued at $200.

Thursday, Feb. 6: At 8:09 pm as an officer was northbound in the 1400 Block of N. Elm Street, a vehicle pulled out of a private drive in front of the officer, causing the officer to slam on his brakes to avoid a collision. The officer turned around and performed a traffic stop with the vehicle at Elm and Stanford Sts. The officer’s investigation led to the arrest of Craig Russell Louk, 60, of Jefferson for operating while intoxicated- first offense (serious misdemeanor)*. Louk was also cited for failure to yield upon entering a highway.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: At 3:40 pm a complainant requested an officer to look into a backing accident he was involved in at Hy-Vee on 01/16. He advised the business may have video and asked the officer to look into it for him. The officer is investigating. At 9:18 pm officers were flagged down in the 800 block of E. Lincoln Way by a mother who reported someone had been stabbed near the fairgrounds. Officers began checking the area to locate anyone. The same parent advised it was at the softball fields in the 900 block of E. Lincoln Way Street. Officers responded and located a male juvenile, who advised his friend had been stabbed near Graffiti Bridge in the 1500 block of S. Mulberry St. Five Jefferson officers and two deputies rushed to the area and located a group of juveniles. Officers learned a 16-year-old male had “pranked” his friends by claiming to have been stabbed. Juveniles had fled from the area on foot before knowing it was a prank, involving their parents and finally police. The male juvenile was arrested and charged with causing false report of indictable offense to authorities (serious misdemeanor)*. He was released to a parent/guardian and the charge will be sent to juvenile court.

Tuesday, Feb. 4: At 7:28 am staff at Midland Power reported a stray dog at 1005 E. Lincoln Way. The officer placed the animal in the animal holding facility. At 8:30 am an officer assisted a Scranton female who brought a stray dog from Scranton to the animal holding facility. At 7:37 pm an officer arrested Dakota Neil Bishop, 26, of Jefferson on an outstanding Jefferson PD arrest warrant for forgery (class D felony)*.

Monday, Feb. 3: At 11:05 am an officer arrested Devin Jullian Villalobos on an outstanding Jefferson PD arrest warrant for sex assault- third degree (class D felony)*. At 1:19 pm a traffic stop in the 300 block of N. Vine St resulted in the arrest of Rickie Eugene Tuhn, 58, of Jefferson for driving while license barred (aggravated misdemeanor)*. At 3:45 pm a complainant reported seeing drones being flown at night in the 700 block of S. Locust St. FAA rules prohibit the flight of drones in dark hours. The officer is investigating. At 3:23 pm during a traffic stop near W. Russell St and S. Grimmell Rd an officer arrested Juan Angel Guzman, 33, of Jefferson on an outstanding Jefferson PD arrest warrant for theft- fourth degree (serious misdemeanor)*.

Sunday, Feb. 2: At 2:23 pm a complainant advised she had been bitten by a neighbor’s dog in the 500 block of E. Reed St. She had puncture wounds on her upper thigh from the animal biting her as she walked her dog in the area. The officer made contact with the animal’s owner and advised him of city ordinances for animal bites. The owner decided to pay for the 10-day quarantine at the vet clinic and then the animal will be removed from the city.

Saturday, Feb. 1: At 6:48 am an officer investigated a car-deer accident on Highway 30 near Oakland Ave east of Jefferson. Caleb Delzell was eastbound when he struck a deer in the roadway. Damage to the 2004 Nissan Altima he was driving was estimated at $2,000. At 7:46 pm an officer performed a traffic stop in the 300 block of N. Oak St with a driver whose vehicle had an insufficient number of headlamps. During the stop, the officer smelled the pungent odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. During a probable cause search of the vehicle, officers located a suspected open container of alcohol, marijuana, cash, and scales. The items were seized. The officers arrested Nicholas Scott Weber, 19, of Scranton for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver (class D felony) and possession of alcohol by underage person (simple misdemeanor)*. Also arrested was Jacob Alexander Roby, 22, of Boone for possession of marijuana (serious misdemeanor), and possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor)*. He was also cited for open container of alcohol- driver.

*Note: All charges are merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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