Public Safety Log (May 18)

People arrested are innocent unless proven otherwise in court. Initial charges often change as a case progresses.

Purse theft — At about 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, someone called from La Belle Boutique, 337 W. First St., to report a purse had been stolen sometime during the previous hour and a half. The purse, which belonged to an employee, contained $600 cash. No suspects.

Laptop larceny — At about 9:10 a.m. Tuesday, someone called police saying a personal laptop had been stolen from a worker’s car parked in the Albany Armory lot, 3800 Knox Butte Rd. East. No value was listed.

DVDs missing — At about 3:30 p.m. Monday a resident in the 1700 block of Queen Avenue called police to report a theft. She had returned home from a trip and her DVD player and DVDs were missing. She was trying to get ahold of her house sitter, but didn’t know his last name and he wasn’t answering her phone calls.

He’s OK — At about 2:05 p.m. Monday, someone called police when a red Honda Civic and a bicyclist collided in the 1200 block of Queen Avenue.

The man on the bike suffered a minor injury and was walking away when police arrived. He refused medical treatment. Police determined the man on the bike, Jeff Davis, 38, was at fault and cited him for riding his bicycle in the wrong direction.

Multiple charges — Police arrested Ronald Wayne Welch, 36, Monday and charged him with first-degree burglary, third-degree robbery, strangulation, fourth-degree assault and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle, all in connection with an incident involving his ex-wife.

Lt. Brad Liles said Welch went into his ex-wife’s home on May 7 without her permission. There was an argument and a physical fight, in which Welch injured the woman’s throat and arms and took personal property. Police spotted Welch about 8:35 a.m. Monday at Fulton Street and Santiam Highway, where he was arrested without incident and taken to the Linn County Jail.

A Burglary in Cascadia — At about 4:40 p.m. Monday, a resident of the 47600 block of Cascadia Drive called deputies saying someone had broken into a tenant’s trailer. Personal items had been thrown out the window onto the porch, but nothing appeared to be taken.

Burglary in Millersburg — At about 1:25 a.m. Monday, deputies responded to an alarm call in the 5800 block of Woods Road in Millersburg.  An unlocked door to the house had been opened and the alarm sounded, apparently scaring the thief or thieves away. However, they made off with a John Deere riding mower, a Homelite chain saw, a Sears air compressor, a Homelite string trimmer and an antique Coca-Cola cooler. The items were worth about $3,500.

The house was for sale and unoccupied.

Apartment fire — Firefighters responded to a kitchen fire about 3:20 p.m. Sunday at the Rosewood Apartments, 719 19th Ave. S.E. The residents told firefighters they were heating cooking oil on the stove and forgot about it until it caught fire.

No injuries were reported, and two cats were rescued.

The Red Cross was notified. The fire department contributed funds to obtain a motel room for two nights for Tommy and Dona Wilmoth and their four children.

Damage to their apartment and contents was about $7,000.