Joint Task Force Serves Child Sexual Abuse Material Search Warrant In Rural Central Point (Photo) - 12/03/25

ODOJ Case CJD1473-25

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) along with the Oregon Department of Justice’s (ODOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force served a search warrant yesterday morning in rural Central Point. Investigators served the search warrant after discovering Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) images were uploaded from the address. Investigators interviewed possible witnesses and involved parties, and investigations are ongoing.

SOCET served the search warrant the morning of Tuesday, December 2 at a mobile home park in the 300 block of West Gregory Road in Central Point. SOCET began the investigation after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence.

SOCET was assisted by Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Medford Police Department (MPD), ODOJ ICAC, Ashland Police Department, Talent Police Department, and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF). During the warrant, investigators seized digital devices which will be forensically examined by SOHTCTF for further evidence of child exploitation.

SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, MPD, ODOJ ICAC, and HSI, as well as prosecutors from our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County. SOHTCTF is a joint inter-agency task force that consists of investigators from JCSO, HSI, and MPD.

Investigators continue to examine seized devices and interview witnesses as the investigation moves forward. No further details will be released at this time.

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Suspect In Medford Police Officer-Involved Shooting Released From Hospital, Lodged In Jail On Multiple Charges (Photo) - 11/25/25

JCSO Case 25-6088

MEDFORD, Ore. – The suspect in the November 23 Medford Police Department officer-involved shooting has been released from the hospital and lodged in the Jackson County Jail. The suspect, Shane Wesley Smith, 30, of Medford, received treatment at a local hospital for injuries sustained during the incident and has since been cleared for confinement.

Smith is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, interference with making a report, attempting to elude police, reckless driving, and driving under the influence of intoxicants (alcohol). The incident will be presented to the Jackson County Grand Jury.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives are leading the investigation. Further information will be released by JCSO or the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office following Grand Jury proceedings. This remains an active and ongoing investigation. No additional information is available at this time.

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Passenger Truck Runs Stop Sign, Strikes School Bus; Bus Driver And Adult Passenger Hospitalized With Serious Injuries, One Child Suffers Minor Injuries (Photo) - 11/21/25

JCSO Case 25-6044

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies responded this morning to a two-vehicle crash involving a school bus. ECSO 911 Dispatch received the call at 7:11 a.m. on Friday, November 21, reporting multiple injuries at the intersection of Newland Road and Truax Road in rural Central Point.

JCSO deputies, Oregon State Police Troopers, and Jackson County Fire District 3 personnel arrived on scene. The crash resulted in serious injuries to two adults on the Jackson County School District 6 bus. Both were transported to a local hospital, where they remain in stable condition. One child was on the bus at the time and suffered minor injuries. There were no reported injuries to those in the passenger truck.

The Jackson County Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team responded to investigate. According to the preliminary investigation, a Toyota Tundra traveling north on Truax Road ran a stop sign and struck the westbound school bus on Newland Road. The STAR Team is investigating the circumstances that led to the crash. Jackson County Roads closed the intersection while the STAR Team was on scene.

The STAR Team consists of investigators from JCSO, the Medford Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Central Point Police Department, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office. This case remains open and ongoing. No further information is available at this time.

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Joint Task Force Serves Child Porn Search Warrant At Medford Apartment Complex (Photo) - 11/20/25

MPD Case 24-5558

MEDFORD, Ore. – The Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force and Medford Police Department (MPD) served a search warrant Thursday, November 20, after discovering images of child exploitation were uploaded from an apartment complex in Medford, Ore. Detectives interviewed possible witnesses and involved parties, and investigations are ongoing.

SOCET served the search warrant Thursday morning just before 8 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Beatty Street in Medford. SOCET began the investigation after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which led to subpoenas, followed by the search warrant at the residence.

SOCET was assisted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), MPD, Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), and the Southern Oregon High Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF). During the warrant investigators seized digital devices which will be forensically examined by SOHTCTF for further evidence of child exploitation.

SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, MPD, Oregon Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and HSI, as well as prosecutors from our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County. SOHTCTF is a joint inter-agency task force that consists of investigators from JCSO, HSI, and MPD.

This investigation is active and ongoing with detectives following additional leads. There is no further information available for release.

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Central Point Man Arrested For Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old Girl He Met On Snapchat - 11/12/25

JCSO Cases 25-5860, 25-5861

MEDFORD, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies responded to a report of a man sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl last night in a truck parked on the side of the 6600 block of Hillcrest Road in Medford. JCSO deputies and Medford Police Department (MPD) officers responded on November 11 at 11:54 PM and located the suspect’s truck driving away at a high rate of speed on McAndrews Road.

JCSO and MPD stopped the vehicle and arrested the suspect, Juan Jose Ramos-Arguella, 22, of Central Point. Ramos-Arguella is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, driving under the influence of intoxicants – marijuana, and unlawful delivery of a marijuana item. He is lodged in the Jackson County Jail.

Upon further investigation, JCSO deputies learned the suspect met the victim on Snapchat. JCSO detectives are investigating along with the Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division. There is no further information available for release at this time.

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Halloween DUII Patrol Leads To Five Arrests (Photo) - 11/06/25

BODYCAM Video Available for Download: https://vimeo.com/1134434037?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

JCSO Cases 25-5652, 25-5654, 25-5656, 25-5659, 25-5662

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies arrested five individuals for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) on Halloween night. The arrests included a man found passed out in the slow lane of I-5, one drug-related DUII, and three late-night traffic stops.

DUII enforcement saves lives by preventing impaired driving, reducing crashes, and improving road safety. JCSO and our partner agencies carry out this important work with support from grants provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

On Friday, October 31, at 7:18 p.m., JCSO deputies pulled over a 27-year-old man for traffic violations on I-5 northbound near mile marker 36. The suspect performed Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) poorly and provided a breath sample of 0.00% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), inconsistent with his level of impairment. A Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) was requested to perform an evaluation. Following the DRE evaluation, the suspect was transported to the Jackson County Jail and lodged for a controlled substance DUII.

Later that evening, at 7:55 p.m., deputies responded to a traffic hazard reported to ECSO 911 Dispatch. A vehicle was stopped in the slow lane on I-5 northbound near mile marker 4, with a 46-year-old man passed out behind the wheel. It took several attempts to wake the driver. The deputy observed numerous indicators of impairment, and the suspect performed SFSTs poorly. The man briefly resisted arrest before being placed in the patrol vehicle. Upon being lodged at the Jackson County Jail for DUII (alcohol) and resisting arrest, he provided a breath sample of 0.24% BAC—more than three hours after the initial call.

At 10:41 p.m., a deputy stopped a 54-year-old woman for traffic violations near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Dardanelles Street in Gold Hill. The deputy noted several signs of impairment, and the woman performed SFSTs poorly. She later provided a breath sample of 0.12% BAC, more than two hours after the traffic stop. She was cited and released for DUII (alcohol), reckless driving, and reckless endangering.

In the early morning hours of November 1, at 1:01 a.m., a JCSO deputy observed a vehicle driving erratically through Gold Hill. The deputy stopped the vehicle on North River Road outside of Gold Hill. The 21-year-old male driver showed multiple indicators of impairment and performed SFSTs poorly. Nearly two hours later, he provided a breath sample of 0.14% BAC and was lodged in the Jackson County Jail for DUII (alcohol).

At 2:50 a.m., a JCSO sergeant observed a vehicle failing to maintain its lane near Table Rock Road and Modoc Road in White City. The sergeant contacted the 38-year-old male driver and noted several indicators of impairment. The suspect performed SFSTs poorly and was lodged in the Jackson County Jail for DUII (alcohol) and reckless driving. He later provided a breath sample of 0.11% BAC—more than two hours after the traffic stop.

JCSO thanks ECSO Dispatch, our partner agencies, NHTSA, and ODOT for their continued support. If you see a suspected impaired driver, call 911.