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B lack H istory M o n th 2002 spedai
A A ’ . 1 M ERIC 1 A F S T Ö R I ' edition -------
February 27,2002
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£ P olice / V ancouver
Seven People Overdose on GHB Club Drug
(AP) - Portland police and
emergency services personnel are
warning people about the club
drug GHB after seven people over
dosed on the drug, including two
who suffered convulsions and
stopped breathing.
The recent cases raised con
cerns among police and county
health officials that the drug is
gaining in popularity.
“More likely than not, some
body mixed their own batch and
thought they were going to go
and make their own money,” said
Officer Pat W alsh o f the Police
The drug and other substitutes
Bureau’s drugs and vice division. t
are often used in combination with
The two who went into convul
sions were in critical condition
other recreational drugs such as
when they arrived at hospitals
Ecstasy that are commonly used
and had to be resuscitated, said
by people in their late teens and
early 20s at all-night dance parties
D r. Jo h n Ju i, d ire c to r o f
Multnomah County ’ s Emergency
known as raves.
Medical Services.
“W e’ve seen this drug for a
while, but I think it’s now hitting
GHB,
or
g am m a
hydroxybutyrate, is a colorless,
the rave scene,” Jui said. “We
really don’t know the extent or
odorless liquid that can cause
nausea, vomiting and respiratory
severity o f it, but it’s certainly
arrest. It has been in the Portland
escalating. We need tojoin forces
area for at least the past five years,
with law enforcement to educate
law enforcement and medical au
the public and determ ine its
thorities said.
sources.”
New System Tracks Criminals
Phone call gives victims information on the status of offenders
( AP) — Crime victims and the
general public now can get up
dated information on the status of
criminal offenders under a new
system launched on Thursday.
“This will be a major new re
source for crime victims and other
concerned citizens in Oregon,”
Attorney General Hardy Myers
said at a news conference. “A c
cess to offender information is a
critical step as these victims re
construct their lives.”
Callers to a computerized an
swering center, by entering an
offender’s name or state offender
identification number, will be able
to find out information including
what institution the person is in.
whether he or she is on probation
or in a community corrections pro
gram and any expected prison re
lease date.
The free service is available 24
hours a day, in both English and
Spanish.
Citizens also can register in the
system, known as Victim Informa
tion Notification Everyday, and
be autom atically notified by
phone if the status of an offender
changes. The system is operated
by the state Corrections Depart
ment.-
“This is a good day for crime
victims,” said Steve Doell of Lake
Oswego, president of Crime Vic
tims United. “There aren’t many
good days for crime victims.”
The system includes data on
more than 41,000 felony and mis
demeanor offenders under state
supervision, including those on
parole and probation.
By October, the system will
add another 7,500 offenders who
are in county jails and juveniles
supervised by the Oregon Youth
Authority.
The system is budgeted to cost
about $338,000 a year, paid for
from the State’s crime victims’
fund that comes from such sources
as fines and other penalties and
restitution.
The toll-free number is 1 -%T1-
674-8463.
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Crusader Jailed for
Contempt of Court
The drug was legal until 1990
and used as a nutritional supple
ment for body building and weight
loss.
It first gained notoriety in the
m id-1990s when men slipped it
into w om en’s drinks and then
sexually assaulted them after
they lost consciousness. Hence,
it was know n as a “date rape
d ru g .”
, Depending on the dose, the
user falls into a dreamy stupor
within 15 to 30 minutes. It’s con
sidered addictive and causes with
drawal symptoms.
LonMabon
(AP) — A nti-gay rights cru
sader Lon M abon was arrested
and placed in jail last week after
a M ultnom ah C ounty Judge
ruled he was in contem pt o f
court.
Mabon, director of the anti
gay Oregon Citizens Alliance,
must remain in jail until he agrees
C r im e
S to p p e r s
Clues Sought
in Police
Impersonation
The Portland Police Bureau
Elder Crimes Response Team,
in cooperation with Crime Stop
pers, is asking for your help in
identifying the individuals re
sponsible for falsely present
ing themselves as members of a
crime prevention unit.
On Tuesday, Feb. 19 at about
12:45 in the afternoon, a white
van with “Portland Police Crime
Prevention Bureau” in blue let
ters on the side, pulled into the
driveway o f a home in the 4500
block o f Southeast 99th Avenue.
Two men wearing what ap
peared to be uniform style shirts
with badges stated they were
there to conduct a security sur
vey o f the house. As one man
reportedly stood by the door,
the other examined doors and
windows before leaving.
One of the suspects is de
scribed as a white male in his
mid 20’s, 5’9” tall, with a heavy
build. The other is described as
a white male in his mid 30’s, 6’ 1 ”
tall, with a thin build.
Although the Portland Po
lice Bureau has a locks program
with uniformed personnel, they
carry police bureau identifica
tion, and would not contact a
homeowner without a prior ap
pointment. They operate a van
with multi-colored, police bu
reau markings on the side.
Crime Stoppers is offering a
cash reward o f up to $ 1,000 for
information, reported to Crime
Stoppers, which leads to a reso
lution in this case, and you can
remain anonymous. Call Crime
Stoppers at (503) 823-HELP.
to appear at a judgm ent debt
hearing, or for six months, which
ever comes first.
His wife and O CA ’s execu
tive treasurer, Bonnie, was or
dered to report to jail in 10 days
to serve the sam'e sentence.
“ I can a ssu re y o u , M r.
Mabon, that it is not a pleasant
thing to do, but 1 feel that it ’ s my
duty to make this system work
the best way I know how and 1
find no alternative,” said Judge
Ronald E. Cinniger.
The Mabons are fighting a
c o u rt-o rd ered ju d g m e n t for
$30,000 in damages in favor of a
gay rights activist w ho was
roughed up at an anti-gay event.
The Mabons claim the judge has
no power in the case because he
took an improperly worded judi
cial oath.
Agents Raid Home
of Iraqi Native
(AP) — U.S. Customs Service
agents raided the Tigard apart
ment of a 7 1-year-old Iraqi im m i
grant Feb. 20 as a part of a nation
wide move against people sus
pected of illegally sending money
to Iraq.
H iw aid i A l-S h e ik h ly fled
Saddam H ussein’s Iraq in 1992, a
year after the Persian G ulf War,
according to his daughter, Zeineb
Alturky.
She said the officers woke her
father, then searched his apartment
for several hours, taking $2,125,
receipts and other documents.
Agents served 19 warrants in
14 states on the same day. No one
was arrested.
O fficials said those targeted
were agents for Alshafei Family
Contact Inc., a money transfer busi
ness created in 1998 to serve Iraqi
refugees in the United States who
wanted to send money home to
their families.
Alturky said she regularly sends
money to her sister, who also has
diabetes. “W hat’s going to hap
pen to her? She depends on us.”
Police Catch Fleeing Suspect
Vancouver police captured a
man who ran from a suspected
residential burglary last week.
Craig Douglas Stewart, 23, was
arrested shortly after neighbors
reported suspicious activity in
front of a home in the 4800 block
o f East Fifth Street at about 1 p.m.
on Feb. 15.
P olice said w hen they re
sponded to the complaint, Stewart
attempted to run away from the
back o f the house. He was cap
tured after a foot chase up a steep
embankment. Stolen property, in
cluding a camera, jew elry, power
tools, vehicle titles and identifica
tion were recovered.
Burglar Rapes Vancouver Woman
Vancouver police are looking
for a man who broke into a resi
dence through an open window
and raped a woman inside.
Police say it happened during
the predawn hours on Jan. 26 in
the 3100 block o f Southeast 168*'
Avenue.
The victim did not know the
suspect, police said. He was de
scribed as a Hispanic male, 18-30
years o f age, with a heavy build,
dark complexion and dark hair.
Those with information on this
case are asked to call lead detec
tive Jane Easter at 360-735-8822or
Detective Sgt. Lou Braafladt at
360-696-8226.
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