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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2020)
A2 THEASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 2020 IN BRIEF Seaside man arrested for charges related to domestic violence A Seaside man was arrested Friday at his home on S. Downing Street for crimes related to domestic violence. Satumino Romero Martinez, 39, was taken into cus tody for attempted murder, strangulation, assault in the fourth degree, menacing, harassment and interfering with a police officer. Police responded at about 1:20 a.m. to a call made by Martinez’s spouse. The spouse was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria with injuries while officers attempted to locate Martinez, who had fled the scene as officers arrived. Police later found Martinez back at his home. Offi cials say two children at the home were released to fam ily friends. JUNETEENTH LEFT: A 4-year- old writes'Happy Juneteenth'and draws stars on a sign at Mill Pond. BELOW: Families march around Mill Pond in Astoria on Friday after story time and sign-making for Juneteenth. Bakery is back in Gearhart, but call it ‘Mac’s’ Hailey Hoffman/ The Astorian GEARHART — It was a familiar scene for the past three months: visitors peering through the window as if they could somehow will back the cinnamon rolls, choc olate croissants and veggie tarts at John and Lisa Allen’s Pacific Way Bakery. The bakery and neighboring restaurant closed in March after 32 years as a gathering place and special occasion dining destination. The Allens reopened the former bakery Saturday as Mac’s Micro-Market, a bodega concept with coffee drinks, fresh produce, groceries, wine, sandwiches and baked goods. The market is named after “Mac,” a beloved Scot tish terrier and a theme throughout the redesigned space. — The Astorian Cannery workers forced into hotel quarantine in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES — About 150 seasonal workers hired by a salmon cannery in Alaska are being forced to quarantine without pay at a hotel in Los Angeles after three of them tested positive for the coronavirus, a law suit claims. The workers, most of them from Mexico and South ern California, were hired June 2 by North Pacific Sea foods to work at its Red Salmon Cannery in Naknek, Alaska, through August, according to the lawsuit filed Friday in San Francisco Superior Court, the Los Ange les Times reported. Instead, they have been stuck at the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel since June 10, attorney Jonathan Davis said. Leauri Moore, the vice president of human resources for North Pacific Seafoods, told the newspaper in an email that she had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment. — Associated Press DEATHS June 18, 2020 BAINER, Jeffrey Philip, 50, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. BIRTH June 3, 2020 HILFERTY, Brianna, and PETERSON, Justin, of Warrenton, a boy, Gavin Thomas Peterson, bom at Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria. Grandparents are Sally Irvine and Eric Irvine, and Cindy Strickland, all of Warrenton. ON THE RECORD Sodomy • Eric Villarino Zamora, 33, of Portland, was arraigned Friday for two counts of sodomy in the first degree and two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree. Theft • Shilo Money, 47, of South Bend, Washington, was arrested Saturday at Walmart in Warrenton for theft in the second degree. DUII • Oscar Castaneda Con treras, 23, of Longview, Washington, was arrested Saturday following a crash on U.S. Highway 101 and Cullaby Lake Lane for driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. Astoria Planning Commission, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. WEDNESDAY Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, 6 p.m., (elec tronic meeting). Astoria School District Board, 7:15 p.m., (electronic meeting). THURSDAY Clatsop County Recreational Lands Planning and Advi sory Committee, 1 p.m., (electronic meeting). the Astorian I Circulation phone number: Established July 1,1873 (USPS 035-000) 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR . 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Printedon I %]Cf recycled paper Subscription rates Effective May 1,2019 MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month).................................................................................................................... $11.25 13 weeks in advance................................................................................................................. $37.00 26 weeks in advance..................................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance...............................................................................................................$135.00 Out of County Rates available at 800-781 -3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month)...................................................................................................................... $8.00 Sting operation captures suspect in beehive thefts By SIERRA DAWN McCLAIN Capital Press A man charged with steal ing hundreds of beehives across the West has been arrested in Washington state in a joint sting effort by authori ties and local beekeepers. Officials say the bees could be worth more than $200,000, and the suspect has likely vic timized more than 30 peo ple across California, Wash ington, Montana, Idaho and Oregon. The Lincoln County Sher iff’s Office in Washington state arrested Perry Davis Bayes, 56, this month and charged him with possession of stolen property in the first degree, a class B felony. Pollination is a big busi ness — hives rent for $200 to $300 — and agricultural detectives say hive heists have resulted in millions of dollars in losses for beekeepers in recent years. This story, officials say, is an example of citizen detec tive work—with beekeepers, farmers and officers working together to solve the mystery. The trail to find the thief started at Columbia Pol lination, saddled between Moses Lake and George, Washington. In April, Dave Smouse, the company’s owner and beekeeper, said he discovered more than 200 of his hives were missing on a property along Interstate 90. Smouse said the only marks left behind were “real skinny” vehicle tracks. His loss of beehives was worth more than $25,000. Smouse said he called the Grant County Sher iff’s Office. An officer told Smouse he’d look into it, but the theft remained unsolved. More than a month later, in late May, another Washing ton beekeeper’s hives were missing. Bud Wilhelm, an Othello beekeeper, had 64 of his hives stolen in Lincoln County and 84 stolen in Grant County. Bud Wilhelm The tire tracks Bud Wilhelm found on the ground where his beehives had been stolen. Wilhelm said reporting the case was complicated because it spanned two counties and separate sheriff’s offices didn’t often work together on cases. Early in June, Wilhelm said he called the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. The officers were eager to help, Wilhelm said, but Sheriff Wade Mag- ers told the Capital Press that without the help of beekeep ing and farming communities, the agency likely wouldn’t have cracked the case. The mystery was unrav eled, Magers said, “through teamwork, creativity and a bit of luck.” Unintended calling card Through an online group, Wilhelm met Smouse. When the two exchanged their sto ries of stolen bees, they noticed something in the crime scene photos: the same unique tire tracks, an unin tended calling card. “We realized: Hey, this is the same thief. So we linked together to track him down,” Wilhelm said. Wilhelm contacted farm ers in his area and asked them to take pictures of the honey bees on their land, thinking perhaps they might unknow ingly be hosting stolen bees. He was right. Smouse recognized his hives in a photo submitted by a farm. But Smouse couldn’t get ahold of the farmer. He recog nized the hill range and could tell the crop was canola, so he set out to find it, thinking it WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 would be simple. “Turns out, there’s lots of canola fields,” Smouse said. Finally, he found a farm that matched the photo. The farmer, who has cho sen not to be named was shocked to learn he had sto len bees on his property. He pointed Smouse to the bees’ source: Perry Davis Bayes. Smouse, Wilhelm and the sheriff s office soon learned that Bayes was selling honey, bee starter kits and other equipment across the West. Smouse had found many of his bees, but Wilhelm’s hives were still missing. Online, Wilhelm found a former employee of Bayes, who led him to 128 of his 148 stolen hives in northern Idaho. The former employee, those familiar with the case say, was likely naive rather than an accomplice. On many of the stolen hives, Bayes had allegedly painted over original logos, covered brandings and some times even chopped up hives, moving bees to new containers. It was time for an arrest. Stakeout The Lincoln County Sher iff s Office staged a sting. The department has limited staff and hours, so officers part nered with the beekeepers for the stakeout. Officers posed as farm ers owning land where Bayes kept allegedly stolen bees. They texted Bayes, telling him the field would be sprayed by a crop duster and advising him to move the bees. Wilhelm and Smouse camped out overlooking the field, watching for Bayes’ vehicle. About 3:30 a.m., the bee keepers say they saw a flash of lights. The driver turned off the headlights and pulled through the field. As the sun crept up, the suspect loaded hives onto his truck using a forklift. The beekeepers called the sheriff’s office. Fifteen minutes later, according to agency records, Deputy Luke Mallon arrived. The beekeepers say they recall waiting another 15 minutes. “It was pretty intense. Nail biting. We were worried the thief might leave before get ting arrested or that he might have a gun. We didn’t know anything about this guy,” Smouse said. Smouse said he had become friends with Dep uty Mallon through the few weeks of the investigation, and he felt afraid for Mal lon’s life — especially since the deputy’s wife had a baby on the way. “If something happens to him, I thought, I’ll carry that for the rest of my life,” he said. Finally, Mallon called the beekeepers: the suspect was in handcuffs. And there on the ground were the same strange tire markings — from his “ratty old” forklift. Beekeepers across the West are getting stolen hives returned. Sheriff Magers called the arrest and restoration “a very sweet ending” to a sticky story. 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