Sirens: Theft from Winco, unpaid rental fees lead to arrests; wallet stolen from veteran at gym; man jailed for stolen wiring

LEWIS COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

Preliminary appearances

-Austen O. Petty, 30, Centralia, made a preliminary appearance July 8 for one count of theft of rental or leased property over $750 after he allegedly stopped making rental payments for - and failed to return - a TV, a mattress, a bed frame, and a PlayStation 5. A judge issued a $10,000 unsecured bond, allowing Petty to remain out of custody. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on July 16.

-Randy D. Rich, 38, Olympia, made a preliminary appearance July 8 for one count each of first-degree criminal impersonation, third-degree theft, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and obstructing a law enforcement officer after he was arrested for allegedly taking part in the theft of $161.25 in items from the Centralia WinCo Foods. The court set bail at $50,000 cash or bond and scheduled an arraignment for July 16.

CENTRALIA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Arrests

-Dustin D. Watts, 39, Vancouver, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for alleged second-degree burglary, second-degree theft and trafficking stolen property. Officers responded to a theft at a local gym in the 2000 block of Borst Avenue at about 12:02 p.m. July 8, after a veteran reported that their pants, wallet and jacket had been stolen while working out. Police said the suspect used the victim's credit card at several local stores, including an auto parts store. Officers reportedly obtained the suspect's vehicle's make and model from the purchased parts. They got pictures of the suspect from the businesses. Officers then used the Flock Safety camera system to locate the suspect's vehicle and identify him. Vancouver police responded to Watts' residence, arrested him and transported him back to the Lewis County Jail.

-Peter W. Boer, 49, Ocean Park, was arrested after allegedly providing officers with a false name in the 1100 block of Kresky Avenue at about 5:40 p.m. July 8. Police said Boer was trying to avoid arrest on his outstanding warrants.

-Paul D. Hickman, 60, Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for alleged second-degree possession of stolen property. According to police, officers received a report of stolen industrial electrical wiring from inside the secured fenced area of a business in the 1200 block of Prospect Avenue at about 1:47 p.m. July 9. Officers later contacted Hickman and determined he had allegedly possessed the cable, stripped it of the copper, and sold it.

-Peter A. Popchock, 55, Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail for harassment after he allegedly threatened to cause physical harm to a neighbor in the 500 block of South Diamond Street at about 4:47 p.m. July 9.

-Brenna M. Layton, 32, Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Chehalis Tribal Jail for third-degree malicious mischief after she allegedly used an axe to damage a vehicle's windshield in the 1300 block of North Pearl Street at about 7:03 p.m. July 9.

Accidents

-A juvenile riding an electric scooter was hit by a motor vehicle near the corner of West Roanoke Street and Ahlers Avenue at about 10:45 a.m. July 8. According to witnesses, the juvenile rode the scooter through a stop sign and in front of the vehicle. Police said the juvenile was airlifted in stable condition to MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.

Assault

-Alfred M. Woodbury, 49, Centralia, was referred for charges of fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) after an alleged physical altercation with a roommate in the 600 block of West First Street at about 6:15 p.m. July 8.

-Officers took a report of assault in the 100 block of South Tower Avenue at about 2:21 a.m. July 9. The assault allegedly occurred at a local business earlier in the evening. The case is under investigation.

-Robert Fruzzetti, 57, Onalaska, was referred to the Centralia Municipal Court for fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) and second-degree vehicle prowl (domestic violence) after allegedly pushing a household/family member and then entering and remaining unlawfully in their motor vehicle in the 1200 block of South Gold Street at about 9:10 a.m. July 9.

-A juvenile was referred for fourth-degree assault (domestic violence) after she allegedly attacked and injured another juvenile in the 800 block of Field Avenue at about 6:45 p.m. July 9.

Criminal trespass

-Upon the request of store employees, police trespassed an individual from a local business in the 900 block of Harrison Avenue at about 12:15 a.m. July 9.

Found person

-Centralia police helped bring two young juveniles back to their guardians in the 1600 block of Harrison Avenue at about 8:43 a.m. July 9 after the juveniles wandered away from the residence in the early morning hours.

Suspicious vehicle

-Officers located a vehicle partially submerged in the Chehalis River near the 100 block of Pioneer Way at about 10:32 p.m. July 8. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene prior to the officers' arrival. The vehicle was removed from the river and towed from the scene.

Theft

-Alexander Deleon, 39, Centralia, was issued a criminal citation for third-degree theft after allegedly shoplifting from a local business in the 1000 block of South Yew Street at about 2:21 p.m. July 9.

-A wallet was reported stolen in the 500 block of Warren Street at about 5:16 p.m. July 9.

-A wallet was reported stolen off the trunk of a car in the 1000 block of South Yew Street at about 11:13 p.m. July 9. The case is under investigation.

CHEHALIS POLICE DEPARTMENT

Arrests, citations and referrals

-Ernest B. Evans, 72, was referred for a possible protection order violation in the 1700 block of North National Avenue at about 2:10 p.m. July 6.

-Ronald B. Alger, 43, was issued a criminal citation for alleged criminal trespass in the 400 block of North Market Boulevard at about 3:09 p.m. July 8.

-Trevor K. Craig, 26, was booked into the Lewis County Jail for allegedly possessing stolen property in the 300 block of Southwest James Street at about 4:31 p.m. July 9.

JAIL STATISTICS

-As of July 10, the Lewis County Jail had a total facility population of 131 inmates, including 118 in the general population and 13 in the Work Ethic and Restitution Center (WERC). Of the general population inmates, 103 were reported male and 15 were reported female. Of the WERC inmates, 11 were reported male and two were reported female.

-As of July 10, the Chehalis Tribal Jail had a total jail population of 17 inmates. Of those, four were from Centralia, one was from Chehalis, one was from Napavine and five were from the Department of Corrections. Additionally, there were three from the Lummi Nation, and one each from the Quileute Nation, the Shoalwater Bay Tribe and Skokomish Tribe.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 11:21 AM.