Page A2__________________________________
3Z t|g J í l o r t l a u b © b s e r U e r ________________________________
State to Pay Father for Negligence
Woman’s Car Buying,
Fraud Scam Busted
(AP) — Portland police have
cited a 35-year-old woman who
was purchasing cars with bo
gus cashier’s checks.
Police said Shari Melton
would contact people who were
selling their cars through classi
fied ads in newspapers, then
purchase the car after a test
drive.
After the sale was agreed
upon, police said victims would
sign the car title over to Melton,
who always paid with a fraudulent
cashier’s check.
Police said Melton would pur
chase a check with a value of less
than five dollars and then alter its
value to purchase the car.
Melton has been cited for forg
ery, theft, selling stolen property,
and identity theft.
Case stems from toddler’s death during state supervised visit
Shah Melton
Officer Charged With Ecstasy, Cocaine
(AP) - A M ultnomah County
Grand Jury indicted a Portland
Police Officer last week for first
and second degree drug pos
session.
G ina Hoesly, 33, was in-
UPTO W N.
dicted for possession of ecstasy,
cocaine and methamphetamines.
She has w orked as a police
officer for 12 years.
P ortland P olice say that in
M arch an in fo rm an t told them
June 19,2002
th a t H o e sly w as p o s s ib ly
using c o n tro lle d substan ces.
A fter a crim in al in v e stig a
tio n , the in fo rm a tio n w as
p r e s e n te d to th e g r a n d
ju ry .
DO W NTO W N. OUT TO THE MALL.
SEE IT ALL WITH A TRI-MET SUMMER YOUTH PASS.
a
W
4
H m b Ì
Get unlim ited rides on Iri-M ets MAX and buses with a June, July and August
m onthly pass at $16 each, or a 3-m onth pass for $48. lo r youth 18 and
younger. Available at the usual Tri-Met outlets including Fred Meyer, Safeway
and m ost Albertson’s stores, or online at www.tri-niet.orv.
(AP) — The state of Oregon
will pay $750,000 to the father of a
toddler who was strangled during
a state-supervised visit with her
mother.
The settlement ends a $ 10 mil
lion lawsuit that had accused state
officials of negligence and violat
ing the civil rights of Fernando
Lopez-Perez and his daughter,
Alexis Lopez.
Alexis’ mother, Sharon Y.
Weston, faces charges of aggra
vated murder and is in jail.
During the supervised visit last
July, Dale A. Kraft, a state human
services aide, allowed Weston
and Alexis to stroll out of his sight
at Gresham’s Main City Park.
Weston took the toddler to a
rem o te a rea and a lle g e d ly
strangled her with a cord from her
jacket. She took the body to a
nearby funeral home, where em
ployees called police.
Officers found Kraft reading a
newspaper in a state-owned car
Sharon Weston is accused of
killing her daughter.
more than 45 minutes later.
Kraft was fired a month after
the killing. After an investigation,
prosecutors decided not to file
criminal charges against Kraft,
saying he did not know about
W eston’s mental and emotional
problems.
But after a five-month review
of 3,600 pages o f docum ents,
prosecutors criticized the D e
partm ent o f Human S ervices’
State Office for Services to C hil
dren and Fam ilies for inconsis
tent procedures and bad com
munication.
The review found that Kraft
wasn’t informed by caseworkers
about W eston’s past threats to
herself and the child. He didn't
read the file on Weston but wasn ’ t
required to. Prosecutors also criti
cized the agency for not having
clear procedures or outlining what
level of supervision was required
for the visit.
John Coletti, the attorney for
Lopez-Perez, said the suit was not
about the money.
“This is not about bad people.
This is a very difficult jo b that
they have to do,” Coletti said.
“I t’s really about a flaw ed sys
tem . A le x is L o p ez slip p ed
through the cracks, and hope
fully this suit will make the sys
tem safer for the next kid.”
Teen Admits Role in
Escort Murder Case
Gresham
Cracks
Down on
Curfew
Gresham police say they
hope to reduce teenage crime
by rounding up minors violat
ing the city’s 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
curfew.
Police say they will place in
protective custody minors who
are on publ ic streets or in other
public places during the cur
few hours.
Violators would then be
charged with a misdemeanor
curfew violation and taken to
the city’s juvenile detention
facility or turned over to their
parents. Minors convicted of
the infraction could face a fine
of up to $295.
(AP) - A 19-year-old Portland
man has pleaded guilty to aggra
vated murder and kidnapping in
the shooting death of Portland
banker Wayne E. Olson.
M edero Prince M oon agreed
to serve life in prison with the
possibility of parole in 30 years.
He will be sentenced after he
testifies against another defen
dant in the case, Calvin Smith
D avis, 24, who is scheduled for
trial Aug. 12.
Moon also pleaded guilty to
assault for an altercation he had
while awaiting trial.
M oon is the second defen
dant to plead guilty in the case.
Prostitute Jessica C, Rydm an
pleaded guilty to robbery with a
firearm , burglary with a firearm
and kidnapping with a firearm
and was sentenced to 17 years
in prison.
Rydm an said Olson was a ^
custom er o f her private escort
service. Police believe she was^
called to O lson’s home Aug. 20,
2000, the day after his wife left
for a business trip.
Police suspect Rydm an was
later joined by her onetim e boy
frie n d , D avis, and M oon, a
friend. The three were accused
in O lson’s m urder, as w ell as
ransacking the house and steal
ing everything from O lson’s
wedding band to snakeskin cow
boy boots and cigars.
Olson, a 53-year-old Bank of
America vice president, was found
dead by his wife on Aug. 23,2000.
He was bound and gagged and
shot in the head.
Police Review Board Needs Members
The Independent Police Re
view Division of the Portland City
Auditor's Office is seeking vol
unteers to serve on the Citizen
Review Committee as the corner
stone of police accountability and
community policing.
The principal duties include the
citizen appeals process for police
misconduct investigations; advis
ing on complaint intake, media
tion, and management practices;
recommending policy changes in
the Police Bureau; and gathering
community concerns about po
lice policies and procedures.
Applications must be received
by 5 p.m. on July 22 at the 1PR
Office, Room320,1221 S.W. Fourth
Ave. Questions may be addressed
to Dr. Michael Hess, IPR deputy
director, at 503-823-4126.
Applications will be evaluated
and scored by a selection commit
tee to be appointed by the City
Auditor in consultation with the
Citizen Review Committee.
The most qualified candidates
will be asked to appear for an
interview. Those who are selected
will be referred to the City Council.
Officials said every attempt will
be made to select qualified per
sons who represent the demo
graphic and ethnic diversity of
Portland.
The application form is avail
able on the auditor’s website at
www.ci.portland.or.us/auditor, by
visiting the IPR office at Portland
City Hall, Room 320 or by calling
503-823-0146.
PLUS GET GREAT DEALS ON FOOD, FUN AND GAMES WITH YOUR PASS FROM:
M c D o n a ld s
P o rtla n d Beavers
O a ks P ark
P o rtla n d I im h e rs
Upgrade Coming for Pearson Field
(A P ) - P e a rso n F ie ld in
V ancouver is receiving $1 m il
lion from the Federal A viation
A dm inistration for airport im
provem ents.
The c ity 's m unicipal airport
will get an additional apron
Spring Auto Lo
equipped to secure 12 aircraft to
the ground, lighting for a paral
lel taxiway, illum inated signs to
guide aircraft through the field,
new seal on asphalt surfaces,
im provem ents to asphalt paved
areas, security fencing, an elec
tronic gate, and an airplane
washer.
The 140-acre field is o ff Mill
Plain Boulevard and Interstate
Five in southern V ancouver.
W ork is expected to be com
pleted in October.
Rates as low as
(■(ill Io
„„„ew sorinfonnaûve
advertise:
5O3.288.OO33
You prob*'* sa
®bSCI“ et
or cnidil:
ids^portlanilobsciver.coni
•APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Interest
rates vary based on repayment period,
down payment and credit standing. A ll
loans are subject to approval.
Serving all who live, work, worship or attend school
in the Portland communities o f Arbor Lodge. Boise, Bridgeton, Buckman
north o f Hawthorne, Cathedral Park, China Town. Concordia west o f 33"
Avenue. Concordia University. Downtown Portland, East Columbia, Goose
Hollow, Humboldt, Irvington, Kems, King, Northwest Portland, Northwest
Industrial Portland. Old Town, Overlook. Pearl District. Piedmont. Portland
Community College-Cascade Campus. Portland State University. Ports
mouth. Sabin. St. Johns. Sullivan's Gulch. University o f Portland.
University Park. Vernon, and Woodlawn
i
WILLAMETTE
Federal C re d it Union
2151 N.W. Front Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97209
(503) 299-4539 • (888) 900-8559
AFFORDABLE YEARLY SUBSCRIPTIO NS AVAILABLE.
Contact us at 503.288.0033 with your name and address info.
AD SPACE AVAILABLE at competative rates for all ad dimensions in
color or black and white. We will work with you to provide the ideal place
ment and visibility, Our in-house design staff will construct your ad for you
and your growing business needs.
Í
I