9/4/26 - The Lane County Sheriff’s Office Reminds Everyone Child Safety Seats Save Lives!

Lane County Sheriff’s Office continues to use state-funded grant overtime to enforce seatbelt laws, including child safety restraint requirements. Although enforcement helps, the most important step in preventing tragedy is ensuring a child safety seat is properly installed and used every time.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 46% of child car seats are installed incorrectly. The link below provides an excellent visual guide to Oregon’s Child Restraint Laws:  https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Documents/ODOT_Car_Seat_Flyer_2021-English.pdf 

-Statistics-

-Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): Child Safety Seat Requirements-

-Rear Seating-

-Booster Seat Fit Test-

To determine whether a child can safely transition from a booster to a seatbelt, answer YES to all:

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to have a safe Holiday Weekend.  So, please buckle-up and ensure every child is secured safely before your drive.

On July 27th, 2026, at about 4:30pm Mohawk Fire and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) firefighters responded to a brush fire on BLM Nolan Ridge Road, outside Mabel Oregon. Lane County Deputies were notified of the burn by fire personnel, as it appeared to be intentionally set.

During the month-long investigation, Ronald Elbert McDaniel was identified as the suspect. On August 29th at around 12:00pm Lane County Deputies located McDaniel in the Marcola area.  McDaniel was arrested and lodged at the Lane County Jail for the crime of Reckless Burning.  McDaniel was also lodged for warrants he had out for his arrest. 

This case remains active and there is no further information for release at this time.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office does not have a dedicated traffic team or deputy assigned to DUI enforcement due to lack of funding. However, our deputies are committed to the safety of our community, and that includes our roadways. Through September 7th, LCSO deputies will be working extra shifts as available on state funded grant overtime to help keep intoxicated drivers off our roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 11,904 total deaths in 2024 from alcohol-impaired traffic crashes. That is about 32 people every day, or one death approximately every 44 minutes. Over 800,000 Americans were arrested for DUI in 2024, making up roughly 11% of arrests for that year. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office cares about our community's safety.  Do not become part of the statistics. Remember:

Plan your safe ride home ahead of time 

If you drink or use drugs, do not drive for any reason 

If you know someone has been drinking or using drugs, don't let them drive 

If you host a party with alcohol, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver 

And please, always wear your seatbelt! 

Please drive safe and help everyone start off the school year safely! 

On August 26th a little after 11:00am Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue (SAR) learned of a person stuck on Mt. Yoran. The individual was alone but uninjured. The person advised they became trapped on a ledge while descending and provided GPS coordinates of their location. 

Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteers with Eugene Mountain Rescue responded to assist. Just before 10:00pm SAR volunteers confirmed the individual was off the mountain and safely back at their vehicle. 

Unfortunately, these types of situations occur frequently. Rescues and recoveries are only possible because of the many volunteers the Sheriff’s Office employs. These volunteers train rigorously for all circumstances and often must respond at a moment's notice. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is so thankful for all the men and women who donate their time to make Lane County a safer place.

To learn more about our Search & Rescue program or to donate to their work visit our website at: www.lanecountyor.gov/government/county_departments/sheriff_s_office/l_c_s_o_s_o_search_and_rescue

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to recreate safely, so please remember: 

Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. 

Know conditions before you leave - rain in the valley can mean ice up high! 

Be prepared to stay out overnight - even if you don't plan to get out of your car. 

Bring maps for offline navigation - cell service can be spotty!

If you go on the water, ALWAYS wear a life jacket!

If you become lost, STAY PUT! Find a way to signal or make your location visible. Always carry a whistle and flashlight in the outdoors – it just might save your life. 

Our community continues to be targeted by phone scammers identifying themselves as employees of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, typically claiming to be sergeants. Scammers have in the past also used text and email. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER ask for money by phone, text, or email!

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER call you about missed jury duty!

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER ask you to pay for someone to be released!

If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a deputy, sergeant or staff member, tell them you plan to call LCSO dispatch at 541-682-4150 to verify.  A real deputy will understand, a scammer will not.  

Scammers claim there are warrants, missed jury duty, or unsettled legal issues. They may also offer to take bail money so family members in our jail may be released. Scammers then ask for payment or personal information, often threatening arrest. They usually offer to take payment digitally, through cryptocurrency, phone apps, or at a kiosk.  
 
In some instances, the scammers appear to call from official phone numbers or provide fraudulent callback numbers with official-sounding voicemail inboxes. They often already have some personal information based on the phone number they called. 
 
If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a Lane County Sheriff's Office employee and you think you are being scammed, HANG UP.

Then contact our dispatch center at 541-682-4150 opt. 1. 
 
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants to protect you and your property. Please share with your friends and family. This scam has been around for years, and people are still falling for it despite efforts by all local law enforcement to educate the public.

On August 19, 2026, The Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in a South River Road neighborhood regarding suspicious conditions. Sheriff’s deputies and detectives responded to conduct a welfare check on 44-year-old Yuvonne Allison based on information received from the out of State caller.

Allison was found deceased at the location.  Allison died as a result of multiple stab wounds. Very quickly, 47-year-old Tyler Earl Essex was identified as the suspect in this case.  An arrest warrant for murder was obtained to arrest Essex, with help from the Lane County District Attorney’s Office.

Essex was located in Skagit County Washington.  Local law enforcement in Skagit County Washington worked collaboratively with Sheriff’s detectives to take Essex into custody without incident.

Allison’s family has been notified. This is an ongoing investigation. There is no threat to the public at this time.  All parties associated with this investigation have been accounted for.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Oregon State Police, the Lane County District Attorney’s Office, the Sedro-Woolley (Washington) Police Department, and the Skagit County (Washington) Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.

--

On August 12th at about 8:10 pm, LCSO was notified of a missing person from the 1700 block of Berwin Lane in Eugene. 88-year-old Jamail McKinney was last seen by family at his residence around 1:00 pm.

McKinney left for a bike ride and was expected to return around 6:00 pm, but he never arrived. McKinney was last seen wearing: a blue t-shirt, black shorts, black and silver shoes and a dark green helmet. McKinney’s bicycle is blue. He often rides on bike trails along the river, in the River Road area. He frequently takes the Owosso Bridge and rides towards the Valley River Center.

Family reports McKinney may have cognitive issues, and he has become lost before. Lane County Sheriff deputies and Search & Rescue personnel are still out searching. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is asking area residents with cameras to please check and see if McKinney is seen on any video. Anyone with information about McKinney’s whereabouts is asked to call LCSO dispatch at 541-682-4150.

On July 29th 2026, The Lane County Sheriff's Office began an investigation into the possession of child sex abuse material (CSAM). During the investigation detectives identified the suspect as 52-year-old Jeremy Bo Adams.

On August 10th 2026, LCSO detectives served a search warrant near the 100 block of W.17th Avenue in Eugene and contacted Adams. Investigators arrested Adams and lodged him at the Lane County Jail for the below listed charges.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Coburg Police Department, the Lane County District Attorney’s Office, and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with the investigation. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deployed their electronic detection K9 Trinity, who is trained to help locate potential digital evidence.

This investigation has led detectives to believe there may be more victims of additional crimes committed by Adams, so an image of Adams is attached. If you have information regarding Adams or this case, please contact Lane County Sheriff’s Office detectives at 541-682-4150.

Lane County continues to make an impact and try to improve roadway safety through public education and enforcement. LCSO Deputies are continuing to utilize grant funding to show an increased presence on county roads. 

The reality is, high‑risk driving behaviors, especially speeding, are still increasing. Lane County has consistently ranked among the top three highest counties in Oregon for fatal crashes. According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, Lane County recorded 56 traffic deaths in 2022.  89% of these crashes involved impairment and or speed. Lane County recorded 41 deaths in 2023 and 49 deaths in 2024.

LCSO does not have a full-time dedicated traffic enforcement unit.  Most offenders get stopped simply because the deputy happened to be in the right place at the right time and was in between priority calls-for -service.  This only raises more concerns about how often these dangerous driving behaviors go undetected.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is asking for every driver’s assistance to help keep our roads safe. Please plan ahead.  Give yourself extra travel time. Practice patience.  Remember we all share the roadway with drivers of all ages and varying levels of experience. Together, we can reduce speeds and make Lane County’s roads safer for everyone.

On August 6th at about 5:50 am, deputies and fire personnel responded to what was reported as a subject stuck in a storm drain. The caller advised this was near the intersection of Lantana and Dahlia Avenues, in north Eugene.

Firefighters arrived on scene and found the man was already beyond aid.  LCSO deputies arrived and additional LCSO detectives responded to assist with the investigation.  The deceased has been identified as 55-year-old Bradley Dean Treloggen of Eugene.

Treloggen’s body was recovered and transported to the Lane County Morgue under the jurisdiction of the Lane County Medical Examiner’s Office.  The investigation is still ongoing, but so far there is no indication of a crime leading up to Treloggen’s death.

On July 22nd, LCSO Deputies were notified of a theft of a mobility chair from Armitage Park.  The chair was valued at over 10,00 dollars and it belonged to a juvenile victim.

The victim’s family took to social media and helped spread the word about the crime.  Deputies spent extra time patrolling and contacting individuals in the area but so far had been unable to locate it.

On August 5th, a community member contacted LCSO and reported finding the mobility chair.  Deputies responded, seized the medical equipment and drove it back to its owner.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank everyone who helped in this case and ensured essential property was returned to a juvenile victim.

On August 4th at about 6:45 pm, Lane County Deputies responded to an assault in the 42700 block of McKenzie Highway near Walterville.  The caller reported being choked and struck in the face several times and lost consciousness.  The suspect was identified as 42-year-old Jesse Lee Rider of Walterville.

Rider left the location on foot before deputies arrived.  Deputies interviewed the victim and held a perimeter until a LCSO K9 could arrive and assist. Deputies learned that in addition to the crimes committed that day, Rider already had warrants out for his arrest.

K9 Tito led deputies directly to where Rider was located.  Rider was arrested and lodged at the Lane County Jail for the below listed charges:

Just prior to the call K9 Tito and his handler were performing a demonstration at a National Night Out event.  A video was posted to Facebook of Tito’s performance from the event.  The link to the video is included below.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1603820501080643