A2 • Friday, March 15, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
Gearhart building
offi cial is charged with
aggravated harassment
By BRENNA VISSER
The Daily Astorian
The building offi cial for
Gearhart has been charged
with aggravated harass-
ment after allegedly spitting
at a Seaside police offi cer.
Mark Brien was arrested
earlier this month after
offi cers responded to a
report of a person punch-
ing walls in his house.
When offi cers confronted
Brien, he became confron-
tational, according to court
documents.
While putting Brien
into a patrol car, a Seaside
offi cer stepped back and
made a statement indicat-
ing that Brien had spit onto
his face, according to court
documents.
Brien was sent to Provi-
dence Seaside Hospital for
an evaluation by medical
staff. He was determined
not to be a threat to him-
self or others and was sub-
sequently released.
Brien is away at rehab,
City Administrator Chad
Sweet said.
The city will work with
Jim Brien, who works with
Mark Brien in the same
company, for building offi -
cial services while Mark
Brien is away.
The city will continue to
monitor the situation before
making any decisions about
Brien’s employment, Sweet
said.
“We’re sorry that this
happened. We’re concerned
for Mark and we’re very
appreciative of what our
offi cers do in this commu-
nity,” Sweet said. “We just
hope for the best for every-
one in this.”
Gearhart renders fi re assist in Seaside
Driver crashes into
Hamlet Quick Stop
Seaside Signal
A driver was seriously
injured after a police chase
and crash into the Ham-
let Quick Stop on Friday,
March 8.
At about 8:45 p.m., the
Seaside Police Department
attempted to stop a vehi-
cle for reckless driving
when the driver began to
elude the offi cer. The pur-
suit traveled south along
Highway 101 to the High-
way 26 junction where the
fl eeing suspect began driv-
ing east.
After a couple of miles,
the offi cer ended the pur-
suit by turning off the
patrol vehicle’s emergency
lights and siren.
The suspect had report-
edly driven into the oncom-
ing traffi c lane multiple
times while passing vehi-
cles and traveling between
60 and 80 miles per hour.
The offi cer continued to
drive east on Highway 26
to follow in the direction
the suspect was traveling.
After several miles the offi -
cer completely lost sight of
the suspect vehicle.
After passing the High-
way 26 and Highway 53
Junction, the offi cer con-
tinued east on Highway
26, stopping to turn around
near Saddle Mountain
Road to return to Seaside
when a reported single-ve-
hicle crash occurred at the
Hamlet Quick Stop store,
located at the Highway
City of Seaside
Gearhart Fire responded to this beach blaze in Seaside Saturday, March 2.
Seaside Signal
53 Junction. The vehicle
involved in the crash was
the suspect vehicle that
had eluded the offi cer.
Hamlet Fire responded
to the scene, Chief Matt
Verley said.
Firefi ghters had to
winch the vehicle out of
the building and cut the
driver out of the car.
The driver suffered
severe
injuries,
Ver-
ley said, and was sent to
Columbia Memorial Hos-
pital in Astoria.
The building was dam-
aged, Verley said, but in a
section that did not impact
the store itself. The store
was closed at the time.
Emergency rescue per-
sonnel responded and
extracted the driver from
the vehicle. The driver
sustained serious injuries
and was transported to
Columbia Memorial Hos-
pital before being trans-
ported to a Portland-area
hospital.
At this time, the driver’s
name is not being released
and the driver is not cur-
rently under arrest while
being treated for injuries
sustained during the sin-
gle-vehicle crash into the
store caused by the sus-
pect’s own reckless driv-
ing, Seaside Police said.
The investigation con-
tinues into the felony elude
of a police offi cer and reck-
less driving. The case will
be forwarded to the Clat-
sop County District Attor-
ney’s offi ce for review.
After a report of possible fi reworks
on the beach Saturday, March 2, Gear-
hart Fire Department responded to a
blaze in the dunes.
With Seaside fi refi ghters attending
an annual banquet, a Gearhart team sta-
tioned in Seaside responded to a call of
a possible fi reworks-related brush fi re
near Avenue G and the Prom on Satur-
day night.
According to Gearhart fi refi ghter Josh
Como, personnel with hand tools were
able to extinguish 90 percent of the fi re.
A brush truck drove on the beach
to assist with hand tools and water. No
one was hurt in the incident.
“It was pretty far out,” Como said,
“probably 50 yards away from the
Prom.”
The incident is under investigation
by Seaside police.
North Coast woman sentenced to 10 years for theft
By BRENNA VISSER
The Daily Astorian
A North Coast woman
was sentenced March 1 to 10
years in prison for racketeer-
ing and more than 20 identi-
ty-theft related charges.
Desirai Skye Schehl,
28, was charged with 145
counts of identity and mail
theft, fi rst-degree forgery
and other crimes earlier this
year. More than 130 Clat-
sop County people and busi-
nesses were listed as victims.
As part of a deal with
prosecutors, Schehl pleaded
guilty or no contest to 13
counts of identity theft,
three counts of fi rst-degree
forgery, six counts of mail
theft and one felony count of
racketeering.
“Not only was her expo-
sure just greater than I’ve
ever seen on any kind of
case like this, but also Ms.
Schehl from the beginning
was ready to come to terms,”
said James Lee von Boeck-
mann, an attorney who rep-
resented Schehl.
Schehl could have been
sentenced to spend the rest
of her life in prison, due to
the number
of charges.
The district
a t t o r n e y ’s
offi ce and
the defense
agreed on a
Desirai Skye
10-year sen-
Schehl
tence to give
Schehl an
opportunity to do drug treat-
ment and have a chance at
being a part of her 5-year-
old son’s life again.
Schehl’s behavior is
believed to be related to her
drug addiction.
“Considering the number
of individuals she has taken
advantage of, I thought 10
years was an appropriate
sentence,” said Deputy Dis-
trict Attorney Steven Cham-
berlin, who prosecuted the
case. “Frankly, I’m hopeful
that she takes advantage of
getting some drug treatment
so when she comes back she
has the opportunity to be a
part of her son’s life and be a
positive role model for him.
If she doesn’t, she’s going to
fall right back into this.”
For almost a year, Schehl
systematically gained access
to other people’s accounts by
stealing checkbooks or mail
with personal information.
She would forge checks,
deposit them into other peo-
ple’s bank accounts and then
withdraw the money, she
said during her sentencing.
In many cases, Schehl
would give people she
knew who were also addicts
money or drugs to set up
fake bank accounts, where
she would deposit and with-
draw money she stole from
other accounts. Other times,
she stole bank cards or
checkbooks and made unau-
thorized purchases at local
stores.
In one incident, police
found Schehl with 117
pieces of mail after receiv-
ing reports of stolen mail
from a mass mailbox along
state Highway 202.
“You have victimized so
many people in our commu-
nity,” Circuit Court Judge
Paula Brownhill said. “I
wish the police could have
caught you much earlier. I
don’t know why it took so
long.”
In addition to prison
time, Brownhill is requir-
ing Schehl to pay back all of
the money stolen from the
victims.
After pleading, Schehl
apologized for causing harm
and said she intends to pay
everyone back to “make
things right.”
“I wish I could change
the fact I hurt a lot of peo-
ple,” she said. “I feel like
this process can either make
me stronger or make me
worse, and I’m going to
use it to make me a better
person.”
DINING
on the
NORTH COAST
Great Restaurants in:
SEASIDE POLICE LOG
March 1
March 3
1:04 p.m., Avenue L and the
Beach: Caller reports someone
has dug a cave to camp in on
the beach; Public Works is con-
tacted to fi ll it in.
1:13 p.m., Wahanna and Shore
Terrace: Caller says the presence
of an abandoned shopping cart
indicates a possible transient
campsite. Offi cer responding
found an old baby carriage but
no shopping cart, and no evi-
dence of a camp.
4:38 p.m., 800 block Necanicum:
A disturbance is reported; both
parties were separated when
offi cer arrives.
March 2
12:42 a.m., 200 block Holladay
Drive: A person is arrested and
charged with assault in the third
degree and unlawful possession
of a weapon with intent to use.
4:20 p.m., 400 block Second
Avenue: Police respond to a
report of an intoxicated per-
son sitting in a parked vehicle.
The person is warned they will
be investigated for DUII if they
attempt to operate the vehicle.
3:00 p.m., Police headquarters:
A person came in to register as
a sex off ender.
8:42 p.m., 1500 block Donner-
berg Road: Police assist county
deputies with a disturbance call.
March 4
1:02 a.m., Park Lane: Police as-
sist Gearhart police with a dis-
turbance and aggravated ha-
rassment.
9:47 p.m., E. Washington, Can-
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner
er
A m ic a n
L
Lad
CORNED
BEEF
egio n
non Beach: Police assist Cannon
Beach police with a building
search.
4:29 p.m., Police headquarters:
A person came in to register as
a sex off ender.
March 5
4:36 p.m., 900 block 13th: Sex
crimes are reported.
3:08 p.m., 600 block Broadway:
A burglary in the second degree
is reported.
7:20 p.m., 1400 block N. Roos-
evelt: Offi cer responds to a re-
port of a physical disturbance;
upon arrival, subjects say they
were hugging each other.
March 6
9:13 a.m., 800 block S. Holla-
day: In responce to reports of
increased drug activity in the
area, police say more patrols
will be added.
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3:17 p.m., 1000 block S. Colum-
bia: Barking dogs are report-
ed. Offi cer spoke with the dog
owner.
5:29 p.m., Beerman Creek Lane:
Police assist another agency
with a DUII-related crash.
MAZATLAN
M E X I C A N R E S TA U R A N T
1:16 p.m., Police headquarters:
A person came in to register as
a sex off ender.
11:13 p.m., 2900 block Keep-
sake Drive: Police assist Warren-
ton police with a call.
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