Law Enforcement

■ Nov. 1 - An officer met with two individuals in reference to a harassment complaint. The complainant said her ex-husband has been contacting her and calling her roommate’s place of employment looking for them. The complainant showed the officer messages that started off being from her daughter before her ex-husband started talking. The ex is upset that the complainant left and moved in with her roommate after ending their relationship. At one point, the ex said he believed that the roommate is reading the messages and deleting them before the complainant reads them. The ex sent the roommate several threatening messages. The complainant told the ex to stop harassing her and that she does not want to be with him. The ex told her that they need to communicate.

The officer called the ex, who denied calling the roommate’s place of work. The officer told the ex that the messages are coming from his daughter’s phone, but some messages are clearly from him. He admitted that some of the messages are from him and accused the complainant of blowing off her kids. The officer again told the ex not to have contact with the complainant or her roommate. The ex told the officer to tell the complainant to get an order of protection out against him, but said “no piece of paper is going to stop him.”

The officer warned the ex that if he continues to contact the complainant or her roommate he could face charges of harassment or stalking. The ex told the officer to charge the complainant with child neglect because she left a month ago and has not stopped to see the kids since then. The ex said all he wanted is for the complainant to contact the kids. He then stated that during trick or treating one of the children asked, “where is mommy?”, and hearing that made him want to drive to Colby and kill the roommate.

The officer requested the ex to not make threats to kill anyone. The ex said that no cop, judge, or piece of paper would stop him if he goes over the edge. The officer told the ex one last time to have no further communication with the complainant and her roommate. The ex said ok and the call ended.

The officer went to the roommate’s place of employment to speak with the coworker, who confirmed that they had received two phone calls from someone looking for information about the roommate’s work schedule. The coworker said the caller had also threatened to kill the roommate.

■ ■ Nov. 2 - An officer received a call from someone wishing to report a suspicious van and two males on their property in Abbotsford. The complainant stated that they were not home, but could see from their security cameras that there was a minivan parked on the road in front of their house and two males walking around the residence. The complainant stated the males left but would like the residence checked.

The officer went to the residence and did not observe any signs of entry. Neighbors said they saw the minivan parked in front of the residence, but did not see anyone get out of it. The officer called the complainant and let them know of their findings.

Later, while on patrol, the officer observed a van parked in front of the complainant’s house. The officer stopped and made contact with the three occupants. One of the individuals stated they were sent there by their girlfriend to pick up a cake from this house. The officer asked who the person was that he was picking the cake up from. The individual stated they did not know. The officer asked what address he was told to go to. The individual showed the address they had been given, which was located on a different street. The officer asked the individual to call the person they were supposed to pick the cake up from. The individual stated they did not have the number. Another individual showed the officer a text from the girlfriend that said they were supposed to be at the current address.

The officer told the individuals that no one at that address makes or sells cakes and they were not allowed back on this property. They said they understood and left. While the officer was leaving the residence, the complainant called and the officer explained that the individuals were given the wrong address. The complainant said one of the males walked up to their house and took a picture of their front door, while another reached into his pocket and appeared to be taking something out. The complainant believed it might have been a key. The officer told the complainant that they hadn’t committed any crimes and were told to leave. The officer advised that they were all warned that they could be cited for trespassing if they returned.

■ ■ Nov. 2 - An officer was alerted to a truck driving all over the road on STH 13 while traveling northbound from Unity. The officer located the vehicle in Colby and conducted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle deviate from its lane of travel.

The officer met with the driver and could smell alcohol coming from their breath. The officer asked if the driver had been drinking. The driver stated they had two beers at a friend’s house in Marshfield. As they spoke, the officer observed the driver to reach over towards the passenger’s seat. Not knowing what the driver was reaching for, the officer asked them to put their hands up and exit the vehicle. The driver was placed in handcuffs as another officer arrived and the vehicle was searched. The officer located a clear bag with a white crystalized substance sitting on the driver’s seat. The driver told the officer that the bag contained methamphetamine and it belonged to them.

The officer ran a background check on the driver and found them to have a revoked driver’s license and a warrant. The driver agreed to field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test, which showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.104. The officer placed the driver under arrest for operating while under the influence (4th) and operating while revoked due to alcohol. The evidence found in the vehicle test positive for methamphetamine. The driver was transported to the Marathon County Jail.

■ ■ Nov. 3 - An officer received a complaint from an Abbotsford resident stating they were trying to sell their house, but the vehicle parts in their neighbor’s yard were offputting to prospective buyers. Upon arrival, the officer observed a truck bed and truck cab sitting on tires in the front yard. The officer met with the neighbor and explained the complaint. The officer asked what the neighbor’s plans were for the items in their yard. The neighbor explained that they planned on fixing up the vehicle over the winter at their place of employment. The officer informed the neighbor that there was an ordinance against storing the items in the yard. The officer asked if they would be able to get the items moved to their place of work now rather than later. The neighbor stated they would talk to their boss. The officer told the neighbor to remove the items within two weeks and said there would be a follow up.

■ ■ Nov. 3 - While on patrol in Abbotsford, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle they observed to be going 54 mph in a posted 45 mph zone. The driver stated they were heading to an establishment in Colby to pick up their niece who was having problems. The driver then stated that the officer should let them have a break. The officer advised that they still cannot be speeding, to which the driver then stated, “I just got worried.” While speaking with the driver, the officer could detect symptoms of intoxication.

The officer asked the driver for their license and proof of insurance. The driver admitted to not having either. The officer asked if the driver had been drinking. The driver stated they had three beers in the past hour, and had stopped drinking less than 30 minutes prior to the stop. The driver insisted they felt they were good to drive. The officer ran the driver’s information through dispatch, which reported that the driver was on bond and not allowed to consume alcohol.

The driver agreed to do field sobriety tests, but was unable to do a preliminary breath test. After seeing several clues of intoxication during the sobriety test, the officer arrested the driver for operating while under the influence (1st). The driver was transported to the police department and a evidentiary chemical test was conducted. The driver was issued citations for operating while under the influence (1st), operating without driver’s license, and speeding on a city highway. The driver was warned about not having proof of insurance.

■ ■ Nov. 4 - An officer took a report of a lost identification card. The individual believed it had been lost near a grocery store in Abbotsford about a month prior.

■ ■ Nov. 4 - An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford bar for a court order violation. The officer located the individual, recognized from prior contacts, sitting at the bar. The officer asked the individual to step outside to talk about their bond conditions.

The officer asked if the individual knew they weren’t supposed to be inside the establishment. The individual said they did, as not drinking was part of their bond conditions. The officer asked if they could call someone to pick them up to take them home. The individual asked why. The officer informed the individual that they were not allowed to go back inside the bar. The individual stated they had gone to the establishment to watch the Monday night football game. The officer could smell alcohol on the individual’s breath, and asked how many beers they had to drink. The individual stated they had four or five beers. The individual was transported to a hotel in Abbotsford and was warned not to drink any more alcohol or return to any bar. The individual stated they understood.

■ ■ Nov. 6 - An officer spoke with an individual at their residence in Abbotsford in reference to a hit and run accident that occurred the previous day. The individual stated that they had been at a restaurant with a male companion and wanted to leave, but the male didn’t, so he told the individual to leave and gave them the car keys.

The individual stated that they didn’t know how to drive and ended up hitting a building and a parked car in the parking lot. After they hit the building and backed into the parked vehicle, the male came out of the restaurant and got into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. The male then drove the individual to their residence in Colby.

The individual stated that the male was upset with them and was yelling at them when they got to the apartment. The male followed the individual into their apartment and continued to yell at them. The male grabbed their wrist and tried to hit them in the face, but never actually made contact. The individual stated they were able to get away from the male and locked themselves in the bathroom.

The officer asked what the individual’s relationship was with the male. The individual stated that they worked together and he was just a friend. The officer asked how bad it hurt when the male grabbed the individual’s wrist. The individual stated that it hurt a lot and they wished to press charges for battery.

The individual believed the male lived in the basement of either the restaurant or another establishment in Colby. The officer knew the male individual from prior police contacts, and knew him to live at a residence in Abbotsford. The officer went to the residence and was told by people there that the male no longer lives there.

■ ■ Nov. 7 - While on routine patrol in Abbotsford, an officer observed a vehicle parked at a gas station with an expired registration sticker. Dispatch reported that the registered owner had a revoked license. A few minutes later, the officer saw the vehicle going west on Spruce Street and pulled it over.

The officer met with the driver and explained the reason for the stop. While speaking with the driver, the officer could smell marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer asked how much marijuana was in the vehicle. The driver stated there was just a leftover blunt in the ashtray.

The officer ran the driver’s information through dispatch. The officer was informed that the license plate had been expired since April of 2023, and the driver has a revoked license due to an alcohol-related offense. The driver also had two open cases through Marathon County. Both have bond conditions of absolute sobriety and no possession of controlled substances except prescriptions taken as prescribed. The driver was also prohibited from operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Both cases have misdemeanor charges related to them.

A Clark County deputy arrived, and the officer asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. A search of the driver revealed nothing. The deputy stood by with the driver while the officer performed a search of the vehicle. The search uncovered two blunts and several vaping devices with THC cartridges. All the evidence was secured in the squad car.

The officer issued a citation for operating after revocation due to an alcohol-related offense. The officer informed the driver they would be referring two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping, along with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The driver was released from the traffic stop and the evidence was transported to the police department for testing. The blunt and the vape device tested positive for THC.