JCSO Case 22-1370
GOLD HILL, Ore. – United States Marshals from the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) arrested a Grants Pass man last night for the rape of a teenaged juvenile in Gold Hill. The suspect, Trenton Scott Newman, 34, of Grants Pass, was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, felony public indecency, and tampering with a witness. His bail is set at $500,000.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives determined Newman met his underaged victim at a local church and sexually assaulted her mid-March in the backseat of a car on the 1900 block of McDonough Road in Gold Hill. Detectives are asking anyone with information related to the suspect or this investigation to call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333 and reference case 22-1370. The case is still under investigation and will be prosecuted by the Jackson County District Attorney’s office.
PNVOTF includes personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Central Point Police Department. The task force specializes in locating and arresting fugitives wanted for offenses including, but not limited to, murder, assault, sex crimes, failure to register as a sex offender, firearm violations, and probation violations.
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MPD Case #22-7006
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives served a search warrant on a marijuana grow site Thursday morning. The property, located on the 1800 block of Gibbon Rd. in Central Point, contained approximately 4,800 illegal cannabis plants in “hoop-style” greenhouses. The plants were tested for THC levels, seized, and destroyed on site. Jackson County Code Enforcement fined the property owner a total of $33,000 for five separate violations. Investigations determined the property owner was paid $7500 to lease his property for the grow. The money was seized during the search warrant.
This case was the result of a month-long investigation of an illegal/black market marijuana grow site. The primary suspect, Jose Manuel Jaime-Guerrero, 26, of Cloverdale, California, was arrested and lodged in the Jackson County Jail. He has been charged with one felony count each of unlawful possession, unlawful delivery, and unlawful manufacture of a marijuana item.
In addition to the criminal investigation, Code Enforcement and Oregon Water Resources Department District 13 Watermasters responded to the scene to conduct independent investigations. Each agency identified multiple violations that will be addressed by enforcing penalties and fines. Code Enforcement identified five separate violations totaling $33,000 in fines to the property owner. The violations were for 11 non-permitted structures at the site (hoop-style greenhouses), unauthorized marijuana production, temporary fencing within a marijuana grow, using Recreational Vehicles as living space within a marijuana grow, and solid waste. There was no licensing for any type of cannabis growing, handling, or processing at this location.
While regulatory agencies investigate permitted cannabis operations, IMET is focusing on the black-market marijuana trade in the Rogue Valley. IMET is a multi-agency task force funded by a grant from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. The task force includes personnel from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Medford Police Department, and the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigations are open and ongoing with detectives working additional leads. No further information is currently available for release.
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JCSO Case 22-1852
WHITE CITY, Ore. – Southern Oregon Child Exploitation Team (SOCET) joint inter-agency task force and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies arrested a suspect today for attempting to use a local victim to create child exploitation images. The suspect, Jesse Ray Hawkinson, 62, of White City, has been charged with two counts of attempting to use a child in the display of sexually explicit content.
JCSO arrested Hawkinson around 7:00 this morning at his residence on the 8300 block of 24th Street in White City. SOCET served a search warrant at the location on April 28 after the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) Child Welfare division received a report of a possible sex abuse of a local juvenile girl. During the warrant detectives located evidence, and further investigations led to the arrest.
SOCET is a joint inter-agency task force that started in June of 2020 to combat child exploitation and human trafficking. The task force consists of investigators from JCSO, Oregon State Police, Medford Police Department, Grants Pass Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations; as well as prosecutors from our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in Jackson and Josephine County.
Due to Hawkinson’s previous contact with children, investigators believe he may have other victims. If anyone has additional information on the suspect, please call the JCSO tip line at (541) 774-8333.
Jackson County District Attorney’s office will prosecute the case. Further information will come from the DA’s office.
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JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – Law Enforcement from throughout Jackson County came together last night to escort fallen United States Navy sailor, Magnus David Penkava, 20, back home to Southern Oregon. More than 25 police vehicles from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), Medford Police Department, Oregon State Police, and Central Point Police Department provided the escort to the fallen servicemember and JCSO Deputy’s son, as he returned home for the final time. A funeral will be held at the Veteran’s National Cemetery in Eagle Point, Ore. on Tuesday at 2 p.m. following a police procession from Conger Morris Funeral Home in Central Point, Ore.
The following is a brief statement from his family:
Magnus David Penkava, February 20, 2002 - April 29th, 2022. He was raised in Southern Oregon and joined the Navy in July of 2020 to be a Submariner and eventually a Navy SEAL because he always said he was tougher than his Marine Corps veteran dad, and SEALs were tougher than Marines. Magnus graduated from Basic Training at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois on September 11, 2020, before attending Naval Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut where he received honors for being class leader. After graduating from Submarine School, Magnus was awarded his first-choice duty station of Bangor, Washington and was assigned to the USS Nevada, an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine.
The command and crew of the USS Nevada paid tribute to Magnus on Thursday, May 5th, and provided the family with a flag flown during their latest deployment. Afterwards, he was brought home to be laid to rest with his military brothers and sisters at the Veteran's National Cemetery in Eagle Point.
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JCSO Case 22-2330
SHADY COVE, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies arrested a 16-year-old male last Thursday for threatening violence towards the Shady Cove Elementary School. The threat came from the social media platform, Snapchat on Thursday, April 28. In the reported video, the juvenile suspect made verbal threats while walking along Highway 62 just off the school property. There were no children present when the threat was received around 4:30 p.m. so no formal lockdown was initiated. Upon receiving the threat, school staff were sent home and after-school functions were canceled.
JCSO deputies identified the 16-year-old suspect and he was arrested at his home around 6 p.m. the same day. The suspect was lodged at the Jackson County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with first-degree disorderly conduct. Investigations are ongoing.
We take threats against children and schools very seriously, if you are aware of an immediate threat towards a school call 911.
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JCSO Case 22-2380
SHADY COVE, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives are investigating a shooting that occurred last night in the Shady Cove area. At approximately 5:15 p.m. a woman with a gunshot wound flagged down a Jackson County Fire District Four (JCFD4) fire truck. JCFD4 began rendering first aid and a Mercy Flights ambulance took her to a local hospital. The woman reported being shot at the 1500 block of Highway 227 in Trail, Ore. JCSO deputies responded to the property and contacted the uninvolved owner. The shooting suspect was identified and taken into custody.
The suspect, Robert Carl Baker, 34, of Trail, was lodged at the Jackson County Jail. He is charged with first-degree assault, two counts of menacing, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and two counts of reckless endangering. His bail is set at $135,000. The case is under investigation.
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