LOCAL
A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019
Search warrant leads to solving nine cases
man. Morrow County Sher-
iff’s Offi ce Deputy Taylor
Wasserman responded to the
A Morrow County Sher- scene, according to a news
iff’s Offi ce investigation release from the sheriff’s
into a theft of navigation offi ce, and took a report for
equipment led to the arrest the theft of a RTK radio with
of a Hermiston man and receiver and a John Deere
solved a number of local 2630 display from a John
cases.
Deere tractor.
The
suspect,
Morrow County
Chalen James Ott-
District Attorney Jus-
mar, 24, faces sev-
tin Nelson said the
eral charges. State
theft occurred in July.
court records show
He described the
Ottmar has been on
items as navigation
a downward spi-
equipment. The sher-
Ottmar
ral of crime since
iff’s offi ce reported
December 2018.
Barton Laser valued
Hermiston-based Barton the equipment at approxi-
Laser Leveling Inc. on Aug. mately $20,000.
6 reported the theft of equip-
The investigation led
ment from a tractor near Wasserman to the auction
Pole Line Road and Home- website eBay, where Ottmar
stead Lane outside Board- posted the missing goods.
By PHIL WRIGHT
STAFF WRITER
Wasserman worked with the
the Fulton County Sheriff’s
Offi ce in Illinois and oth-
ers there to get the property
back to the owner.
After gathering addi-
tional evidence, Wasserman
obtained a search warrant
for Ottmar’s residence, 19
Westview Drive, Hermiston.
Members of the Morrow
County Sheriff’s Offi ce and
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment served the search war-
rant Oct. 1, arrested Ottmar
and recovered property from
crimes in Morrow and Uma-
tilla counties.
According to the news
release, the goods solved
nine cases in all for the Mor-
row County Sheriff’s Offi ce,
Umatilla County Sheriff’s
Offi ce, Hermiston Police
Department, Oregon State
Police and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. The
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Offi ce hauled Ottmar to jail
in Pendleton for two counts
of unauthorized entry into a
motor vehicle, two counts of
trespassing and two counts
of aggravated theft.
State court records show
Ottmar in 2014 pleaded
guilty to possessing less than
4 ounces of marijuana, in
2016 he pleaded no contest
to violating the basic driving
rule and in 2018 he pleaded
no contest to speeding, all
Umatilla County cases.
This year, Ottmar faced
three separate criminal cases
in Umatilla County.
He pleaded guilty in
May to three counts of sec-
ond-degree theft for stealing
dog food, a cooler and and
spa pump from three people
in January and received 12
months of court- supervised
probation.
Later that month, he
faced fi rst-degree theft and
second-degree
burglary
charges for breaking into
Highland Hills Elementary
School, Hermiston, on Dec.
6, 2018, and stealing Apple
iPads.
And in July the district
attorney’s offi ce charged
Ottmar with criminal sim-
ulation
and
attempted
third-degree theft for alter-
ing currency and trying
to pass it off on June 23
at a McDonald’s. He took
deals in both cases, plead-
ing guilty on Sept. 20 to the
theft and criminal simula-
tion charges in exchange for
two years of probation.
The Morrow County Dis-
trict Attorney’s Offi ce last
Wednesday arraigned Ott-
mar on preliminary charges
in the latest case, including
for aggravated theft, a fel-
ony. Nelson said Ottmar’s
next court appearance is
Oct. 31.
The delay is due to the
court granting a request to
release Ottmar from jail.
Nelson explained Ottmar’s
attorney, Steven Thomas
of Pendleton, told the court
Ottmar begins an addiction
treatment program Monday
in Eugene, and he asked the
court to let him do that.
The hearing at the end
of the month also means
Nelson’s offi ce has more
time to present evidence
to a grand jury for formal
charges against Ottmar.
Missing man found, then arrested
Deputies from the Uma-
tilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce
searched the water, as well
A man who was reported as his last listed Hermiston
missing in July by the Uma- address on Autumn Avenue
tilla County Sheriff’s
but found nothing.
Offi ce was trans-
They publicized his
ferred to the Uma-
disappearance, call-
tilla County Jail on
ing him missing and
Oct. 2.
possibly in danger.
Jason
Edward
Now that he has
Moore, 45, of Herm-
been found alive he
iston, was located
is facing a charge
Moore
and lodged in the
for failing to appear
Marion
County
at an August trial on
Jail on Sept. 28 after law a fi rst-degree criminal mis-
enforcement there dis- chief charge, and another
covered he had outstand- for disseminating intimate
ing warrants in Umatilla images of the victim from
County.
that case.
On July 28, Moore’s wal-
He was also charged
let, along with some cloth- with contempt of court, and
ing, a cellphone and a sui- fi rst-degree invasion of per-
cide note, was found along sonal privacy.
the Columbia River in Uma-
Moore was originally
tilla by a passerby picking indicted for fi rst-degree
blackberries. Associates of criminal mischief in Janu-
Moore said they hadn’t seen ary, and was released from
him since July 9.
jail in February with the
By JESSICA POLLARD
STAFF WRITER
Contributed photo by UCFD1
Umatilla County Fire District fi refi ghters attack a shop fi re on Brock Lane in Hermiston that
happened Thursday morning.
Firefi ghters respond to multiple
blazes in Hermiston last week
HERMISTON HERALD
A number of vehicles
and a building were dam-
aged in a series of separate
fi res Thursday in western
Umatilla County.
Umatilla County Fire
District 1 responded about
about 7:30 a.m. that day to
a fi re in a shop outside of a
home. The blaze was con-
tained to the shop.
Shortly after 4:30 p.m.
that same day the depart-
ment responded to a
semitruck on fi re at Mile-
post 2 on Highway 37.
No one was injured in
the blaze and the fi re was
contained after 6 p.m.,
according to Battalion
Chief Corey Gorham.
UCFD1 responded as
mutual aid to a call of a
metal shop on fi re by the
Umatilla Rural Fire Pro-
tection District.
The call went out just
before 7 p.m. for the fi re
at 81830 North Highway
395.
The shop contained a
cement truck and a full-
sized pickup truck. Both
were damaged and the
building was extensively
damaged, Gorham said.
No one was in the
building at the time, and
no injuries were reported.
The fi re was contained
within the hour.
Later in the evening,
UCFD1 responded to
another semi-truck on fi re
around 9 p.m. at Lamb
Weston in Hermiston. No
injuries were reported, but
the truck and trailer had
extensive damage.
On
Saturday
eve-
ning, UCFD1 responded
to another shop fi re about
9:15 p.m. at a home behind
Harley Swain Subaru. The
fi re was contained to the
detached garage.
All incidents are cur-
rently under investigation.
Sherwin-Williams set to open
paint store on N First Street
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
The old Payless Shoe
Store building in Hermis-
ton won’t stay empty for
long after the shoe retailer
went out of business this
summer.
The building at 1390 N
First St. is being remodeled
into a Sherwin-Williams
paint store.
Jeffrey Light, director of
real estate for midwestern
states and Canada for Sher-
win-Williams, confi rmed
Tuesday that the new store
is expected to open in late
December 2019.
He said the Hermis-
ton store will be focused
on “residential repaint and
DYI business,” serving
homeowners and painting
contractors in the area.
Sherwin-Williams is a
national chain with stores
around the United States
including Pendleton, Ken-
BRIEFS
SAGE Saturday craft features
Halloween theme
Kids and their families can create a creepy
witch’s cauldron or festive sugar skull mag-
net this weekend at the SAGE Center.
The free activity takes place during
SAGE Saturday, while supplies last.
Port View Apartments is “taking” over
the event this weekend. The event is Satur-
day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The SAGE Center is located at 101
Olson Road, Boardman. In addition, admis-
sion is free to the visitor’s center all day
long until 5 p.m.
For more information, contact 541-481-
7243, sagecenter@portofmorrow.com or
visit www.visitsage.com.
Higher Power Fitness hosts women’s
expo on Saturday
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
Sherwin-Williams is turning the former Payless Shoe Store
in Hermiston into a paint store, set to open in December.
newick, Pasco and Rich-
land. In addition to its stores
selling paints and stains, the
company also provides spe-
cialized coatings for indus-
tries such as aerospace, rail-
roads, marine, gas and oil,
bridges, health care, food
service and fi re protection.
Sherwin-Williams isn’t
the only company spruc-
ing up that section of North
First Street.
Panda Express is build-
ing a new restaurant two
buildings down, at the for-
mer Stockman’s Steak-
house at 1530 N First St.,
which is also set to open in
December.
expectation he would not
contact the victim of his
crime or leave the state.
When he failed to appear
at a pre-trial conference in
March, a warrant was issued
for his arrest.
According to court doc-
uments, Moore was issued
an emergency release from
the jail in April due to
overcrowding.
On two separate occa-
sions in June and July,
before Moore was reported
missing, he allegedly dis-
tributed intimate images of
his victim on the internet,
according to court docu-
ments released Thursday.
On July 17, Moore’s
attorney
requested
a
rescheduling of the trial
because he couldn’t locate
the defense witness.
Moore
is
currently
lodged at the Umatilla
County Jail, and his bail is
set at $45,000.
A variety of vendors offering home-based
business products are featured during the
Fall Women’s Expo.
The event is Saturday, from 10 a.m. to
2 p.m. at Higher Power Fitness, 2120 N.
First St., Hermiston. Admission is a dona-
tion of cash or supplies for the Hermiston
Warming Station.
Suggested items for the winter include
gloves, wool socks, lip balm, sunglasses
and ice-melt. In addition, household clean-
ing supplies and hot drinks (coffee, hot
chocolate, apple cider, etc).
For questions about current needs, call
541-289-2150, 541-303-3256 or visit www.
facebook.com/hermistonwarmingstation.
During the women’s expo, food and
drinks will be served. For more information,
call 541-571-5691.
First Christian Church hosts
Hymnsing on Sunday
An evening of fellowship features the
singing of old hymns with new and old
friends.
Everyone is invited to Hymnsing Sun-
day from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the First
Christian Church, 775 W. Highland Ave.,
Hermiston.
There is no admission charge for the
informal service.
For more information, contact Chris
Finley at johnchris_1@msn.com or
541-571-2516.
Tourism industry launches
leadership academy
A new learning program is being
launched for public and private sector tour-
ism professionals.
The program is designed to assist lead-
ers in polishing their skills and assist in
making positive and lasting contributions
to the state’s tourism industry. Interested
participants should have supervisory, man-
agerial, or executive responsibilities in
either the private or public sector.
The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging
Association announced that the launch of
the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy
was developed in partnership with the Ore-
gon Destination Association and Travel
Oregon.
The program will be led by the indus-
try’s top experts.
The program is accepting applications for
participants, who will begin meeting in the
spring of 2020.
The experiential learning sessions will
include visits to Eastern Oregon, the Colum-
bia Gorge, the greater Portland area and the
Oregon coast. Participants will qualify for
four credits of the Hospitality Management
Program through Chemeketa Community
College.
The application deadline is Friday, Nov.
1. For more information, visit www.ore-
gonrla.org/otla.html. For questions, contact
Marla McColly at 503-428-8694 or mmcco-
lly@oregonrla.org.