Two boys, a 13-year-old from Sisters and a Redmond resident, 14, have been arrested in connection with three small smoldering arson fires discovered this morning near Hinkle Butte Drive and Lake Drive in Sisters, deputies reported. Cloverdale Fire Department personnel reported one suspicious fire, and Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area about 9 a.m.  An arriving deputy found two additional fires in “fairly close proximity” to the first fire, Sgt. Vance Lawrence and ... [full story]

Following a 2 ½-month long investigation, detectives on Friday arrested a 44-year old La Pine Middle School custodian who allegedly sexually abused a young girl on school property over the course of a few months, deputies reported.    Wesley Earl Caudle - DCJ photo Deschutes County Sheriff’s detectives assisted by Bend Police officers took Wesley Earl Caudle, 44, into custody at the school, and searched his home at 16306 Bates Street in the Spring River area near La ... [full story]

A 45-year old Redmond man was arrested Friday morning for allegedly attacking his supervisor with a sledgehammer at a home construction site in Terrebonne, deputies reported.   Kenneth Keys - DCJ photo Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of an assault at the construction site near the intersection of NW 13th Street and Foss Drive in Terrebonne about 7:30 a.m., August 24, Sgt. Chad Davis wrote in a news release. Investigation determined that earlier in ... [full story]

A 46-year old man wearing dark clothing was killed Thursday night when he was struck by a large truck while crossing Highway 97 on foot in Terrebonne, Oregon, troopers reported. According to an Oregon State Police (OSP) news release, the accident occurred about 9:40 p.m., August 16, when a 1999 Peterbilt truck towing a trailer loaded with bees was southbound on Highway 97 near milepost 115.  The truck’s driver, identified as Kevin C. Gross, 48, of ... [full story]

A 43-year old woman was cited for animal neglect, and nine horses were seized from her northwest Prineville, Oregon property during execution of a search warrant Thursday based on a tip deputies received regarding alleged “severe neglect” of the animals. Jennifer Debban was cited for nine counts of second-degree animal abuse following the raid at 3636 NW Rimrock Acres Loop about 5:40 p.m., August 16, Crook County Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant Travis Jurgens reported. “All nine horses ... [full story]

A 45-year old Prineville man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries when his motorcycle collided with a calf elk on Highway 126 in Powell Butte, Oregon early Tuesday morning, deputies reported. Crook County Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics with Crook County Fire and Rescue responded to the incident on Highway 126 near mile marker 12.6 about 12:45 a.m., August 14, Sgt. Russ Wright wrote in a news release. George Bowles, 45, was riding ... [full story]

A 35-year old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a person in Madras Monday night, but police have released few details concerning the incident. According to a news release prepared by Madras Police Detective Tanner Stanfill, Joaquin Leiva was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, pointing a firearm at another, and reckless endangering. Leiva was booked into the Jefferson County Jail with the assistance of ... [full story]

Reluctant Hero “just felt it was something he had to do” … Officials: If it were not for what he did, Oma Pratt would have perished in the fire” The Crook County Sheriff’s officials have identified the man who ran into a burning mobile home and pulled a woman to safety in SE Prineville Sunday night, saying that she wouldn’t have survived if she had remained inside for another 30 seconds. A 911 emergency call ... [full story]

A 29-year old man was arrested early Saturday morning and has been charged with over a dozen crimes after being “caught in the act” of burglarizing a southwest Redmond auto dealership and damaging several vehicles, police reported.  Carl Jess Johnson, 29, of Redmond, was spotted by officers inside Thomas Sales and Service at 112 SW Sixth Street about 12:45 a.m., after they responded to the report of a man breaking vehicle windows, Redmond Police Captain ... [full story]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Burlington Northern police, and Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating a possible sabotaging of the train tracks near La Pine after “something” on or near the tracks was found that was described as an apparent attempt to cause damage to the track, potentially causing a train derailment. According to a news release prepared by Sheriff Larry Blanton, deputies were called to the scene about 1 p.m., August 10.    While declining to ... [full story]

Following a lengthy investigation lasting nearly a year, drug agents raided a Prineville apartment on Thursday morning and arrested a 54-year old woman when methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and items related to the alleged sale of illegal drugs were seized.   Gloria Eloise Peters - CCJ photo Bend Police Lt. John Gautney, working with the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team, said that agents had been investigating Gloria Eloise Peters for eleven months before they obtained a ... [full story]

Drug agents seized over 19 grams of cocaine and arrested a 26-year old man during a raid on a northwest Redmond home Monday afternoon.  Officials said more arrests are anticipated as a result of an ongoing investigation.   Brian Daniel Spohn - DCJ photo Brian Daniel Spohn of 3880 NW Xavier was taken into custody without incident when Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team members executed a search warrant at 3 p.m. on August 6, Lt. John ... [full story]

A 26-year old Sisters man drowned while swimming in a lava tube behind Awbrey Falls on the Deschutes River southwest of Redmond Monday afternoon, deputies reported. According to a news release issued by Sgt. Dan Swearingen and Deputy Jennifer Gaspard with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Todd Justin Sampson swam behind the falls into a lava tube and did not resurface.  His brother, Jeffrey Sampson, 18, tried to find his brother in the lava tube, ... [full story]