Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 27, 2017
Four arrested in
POINT operation
Itemizer-Observer staff report
POLK COUNTY — On Dec. 14, detectives from the Polk
Interagency Narcotics Team concluded a five-month long
investigation into the illegal distribution of heroin and
methamphetamine.
The investigation concluded with a
traffic stop by the Oregon State Police in
Salem, where investigators seized a total
of $31,229 in cash, 1,572.1 grams (3.4
pounds) of methamphetamine, 0.9
grams of cocaine and a residue amount
of heroin from Felipe Rodriguez and
Ronald Selby.
The investigation also led to the
seizure of five safes in which investiga-
Rodriguez
tors seized 9 mm, 40 caliber and 44 cal-
iber ammunition, drug records, drug use
paraphernalia and a shirt for concealed
carry of a firearm.
No firearms were seized as a result of
the investigation. The following subjects
were arrested and charged with the fol-
lowing crimes:
Felipe Rodriguez Jr., 33, possession of
methamphetamine — super-substantial
Selby
quantity; possession of cocaine; delivery
of methamphetamine — super-substan-
tial quantity; two counts of delivery of
heroin — substantial quantity; posses-
sion of heroin — substantial quantity;
and probation violation.
Ronald Selby, 48, possession of
methamphetamine — super-substantial
quantity; and delivery of methampheta-
mine — super-substantial quantity.
Somora
Monique Somora, 33, hindering pros-
ecution and tampering with evidence.
Jesse Ayala, 48, possession of heroin.
POINT is a cooperative effort between law enforcement
agencies within Polk County with a mission to directly im-
pact the negative effects of unlawful activities involving
controlled substances within all jurisdictions of the Polk
County community. POINT member agencies include the
Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Mon-
mouth Police Department, Independence Police Depart-
ment, Dallas Police Department and the Polk County Dis-
trict Attorney’s Office.
Other agencies that assisted POINT with this investiga-
tion include the Salem Police Street Crimes Unit, Dallas
Police Department and Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Three Dallas Fire & EMS firefighters returned home Dec. 20 after more than two weeks battling fires in California.
Dallas fire returns from Cali
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Dallas fire-
fighter Zach Leigh wore a T-
shirt emblazoned with the
words “SoCal Ablaze.”
He should know — he and
two other Dallas firefighters
returned on Dec. 20 from a
16-day trip fighting the wild-
fires in California.
Leigh, Jesse Friedow and
Austin Champ drove thou-
sands of miles in a South-
west Polk fire engine to join
the Linn County Taskforce
assisting with the battle on
the Creek and Lilac fires.
Then they moved to the
Thomas Fire, which is the
second largest in California
history, burning in Ventura
and Santa Barbara counties.
The Thomas Fire burned
272,800 acres and was 65
percent contained as of Fri-
day, according to Cal Fire.
The crew left on Dec. 5,
after a multi-state conflagra-
tion began that pulled fire
crews from the across the
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jumped over the top. It ignit-
ed and blazed back up the
hill toward the fire over the
ridge.
“That one little spot, once
it flared … I bet it burned 40
acres in 20 minutes, just
poof, gone,” Leigh said.
“It kept doing that
throughout the night. It
would spot down and then
burn up,” Friedow added.
Fast moving winds didn’t
help matters. Leigh said
fighting a fire in Santa Bar-
bara was complicated by
“sundowners,” an offshore
wind that develops in the
late afternoon or early
evening.
“(They’re) similar to Santa
Anas, but they called them
sundowners,” Leigh said.
“There would be nothing
and five minutes later, there
would be a 30-mph wind.”
Friedow said he was ap-
prehensive when he got the
call to head south. He knew
the conditions would be un-
familiar.
“It was a little bit of disbe-
lief in the beginning be-
cause, you know, it’s Decem-
ber,” he said. “On the way
down there, it was kind of
nerve-racking because it’s a
different place you are going
to where they have different
fuels, different everything. I
spent a lot of time on our
way down researching about
the fire activity.”
Leigh said though the
timing around the holiday
was inconvenient, he was
happy to help the residents
and fire crews in California.
“I’m glad I got to go on
this one because I learned a
ton on it,” he said.
Back at home, the three-
man crew was exhausted
and happy to return before
Christmas.
A welcome party gathered
at the Dallas Fire Station to
greet them after their long
trip home and help them
unpack the engine.
“Thankfully, I got my
Christmas shopping done,”
Friedow said. “The joy of
technology.”
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West to the aid of California
firefighters.
Dallas Chief Fred Hertel
said the system is similar to
what happened during the
Chetco and Eagle Creek fires
in Oregon this year, but at a
multi-state level.
“Never thought I’d see one
of our trucks down near the
Mexico border,” Hertel said.
“They were in San Diego.”
Friedow said the fires
were like nothing they had
seen in Oregon, noting the
dryness, how easily plants
burn, and the winds that
push fires to consume acres
at an unbelievable pace.
“Other than rock, there’s
nothing there that’s not
going to burn,” Leigh said.
“It’s all dry.”
Leigh said he was on a fire
line at night during one of
the crew’s shifts watching
the glow of fire burning on
the other side of a ridge.
Firefighters on the line de-
bated whether it would
creep over the ridge.
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