On Saturday, December 2, 2023, Lincoln City Police Officers were conducting proactive traffic enforcement on Highway 101 in Lincoln City and observed a silver Honda Accord with stolen license plates taken from a Kia Optima out of Marion County. The vehicle left the area before the officer could turn around to conduct a traffic stop.
The patrol officers continued the search for the vehicle, eventually locating the Honda parked in a disabled parking stall at the Lincoln City Outlets and occupied by two people. The driver of the Honda initially provided a false name, but was ultimately identified as 60-year-old Matthew David Griner of Lebanon, Oregon. Griner had multiple warrants out for his arrest and his driving privileges were criminally revoked.
During the investigation, officers recovered two sets of stolen license plates, a replica firearm, and a user-quantity of narcotics. The Honda Accord was previously reported stolen out of Salem, Oregon, and was towed from the scene.
Griner was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle, Possession of Stolen Property x 2, Giving False Information to a Police Officer, Trafficking in Vehicle with Altered ID Numbers, Driving while Revoked Misdemeanor, and four out-of-county arrest warrants.
This incident highlights the importance of our officers conducting traffic enforcement in an effort to keep the community safe.
On Wednesday, November 22, 2023 a Lincoln City Police Officer spotted 30-year-old Nicolette Heslen AKA Nicolette Dryke of Newport, Oregon, walking in the 800 block of SE Hwy 101. The Officer was aware there was an active felony warrant for Heslen’s arrest issued out of the Oregon State Parole Board for Absconding. The Officer attempted to contact and arrest her, but she fled on foot and was not located.
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, Lincoln City Police responded to a disturbance occurring in the south Subway located in the south 300 block of Hwy 101. The suspect creating the disturbance was reportedly damaging store property and a parked vehicle. The suspect fled the scene just prior to officers’ arrival, but was determined to be Nicolette Heslen (AKA Dryke). Heslen has a known history of assaulting officers and resisting arrest.
LCPD Officers, along with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies, quickly set up a perimeter in the area and LCPD K-9 Nato and LCSO K-9 Ghost were deployed. The two K-9 teams began converging on the thick, wooded area around SE 3rd Street near Hwy 101. K-9 Nato began alerting in an area overgrown with thick, dense brush and thorny berry bramble. The K-9 Officer could hear the suspect push through the brush, and he began yelling warnings ordering her to surrender because the K-9s were deployed and she could be bitten. She did not comply and continued to make her way through the thick brush and eventually tried to hide in the thick brush near a small creek. Both of the K-9s converged on her last known location and once she realized she was not going to avoid capture, she surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without further incident.
Heslen was subsequently transported to the Lincoln County Jail where she was lodged on the following charges: Escape III x2, Criminal Mischief II, Disorderly Conduct II and her Felony Parole Violation Warrant.
The Lincoln City police would like to thank the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and K-9 Team for their assistance. This incident highlights the importance of having the K-9 teams available here in Lincoln City and Lincoln County, which allow law enforcement to quickly locate and safely take wanted persons into custody. The Lincoln City Police are grateful for the incredible community support that allowed us to implement the K-9 program.
The Lincoln City Police Department is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying potential victims who may have had fraudulent charges placed on their credit cards. On November 17, 2023, the police began an investigation into a credit card fraud scheme that occurred at the north Chevron gas station where persons using their credit cards to purchase fuel had an additional charge placed on their card. A former employee of the station fraudulently placed this additional charge on the card by scanning the card with a device without the knowledge of the card owner. Lincoln City Police believe there may be a large number of additional individuals who fell victim to this credit card fraud scheme. We are asking our residents and visitors of Lincoln City, specifically those who used credit or debit cards at the station on November 4th, 10th, 11th, 15th and 17th of this year, to check their bank statements and transaction history for any transaction listed as “Hot Dog Stand”.
We are taking these additional investigative measures to identify potential victims, but given the nature of the case, this may be a time consuming process. If you or someone you know discovers a transaction consistent with the above information, please call the Lincoln City Police Department at 541-994-3636 and ask for Officer Jon Humphreys or CSO Jim Folmar and reference case LCP23008921.
The Chevron management has been fully cooperating with the investigation and there is no reason to believe the scheme is still occurring as an initial arrest has been made in this case. On November 17, 2023, the former employee, 43-year-old, Jeremy Michael Brown of Lincoln City, Oregon was arrested on initial charges of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, Theft in the Third Degree and Identity Theft. Brown was transported to the Lincoln County Jail and lodged on the listed charges. More information will be released at the conclusion of the investigation.
Submitted by: Lieutenant Jeffrey Winn
Lincoln City Police Officers have been conducting several online child-luring investigations over the past few months, which have resulted in the recent arrests of two local men. During the investigations, officers posing as underage children on various online social media platforms were contacted by adult men who offered to meet up with a person they believed to be a minor for sex or used online communications to solicit a child to engage in sexual contact or sexually explicit conduct. The following arrests were made during the course of these investigations.
On November 9, 2023, 56-year-old Scott Anthony Cotter of Lincoln City, Oregon, was arrested after he arrived at an undisclosed public location to meet up with a minor for sex. Cotter had been chatting on social media with undercover officers and during conversations had sent graphic messages depicting various sexual acts along with sending nude photos of himself. Cotter stated he wanted to meet up with the persons he believed to be minors for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts. Cotter was taken into custody by Lincoln City Police and subsequently transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was lodged on criminal charges of: three counts of Luring a Minor, one count of Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the first degree, two counts of Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the second degree, and Display Child Sexual Conduct.
On November 13, 2023, 28-year-old Joseph Ray Williams of Otis, Oregon, was arrested after he arrived at an undisclosed public location to meet up with a minor for sex. Williams had recently begun chatting online with an undercover officer posing as a minor female. During the course of the online conversations, he sent sexually graphic messages and nude photos of himself. Williams made arrangements to meet and pick up the fictitious minor female for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts in his car. Williams was taken into custody by Lincoln City Police subsequently transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was lodged on criminal charges of: Luring a Minor, Online Sexual Corruption of a Child in the first degree, attempted Sexual Abuse III, attempted Rape III, and attempted Sodomy III.
The Lincoln City Police want to encourage parents to monitor their childrens’ social media activity and discuss with them the possible dangers of communicating with strangers online. These investigations are conducted in an effort to reduce criminal activity and to further enhance the safety of our community.
Submitted by: Lieutenant Jeffrey Winn
On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at about 10:47 AM, Lincoln City Police conducted a traffic stop in the 4600 block of SE Hwy 101 on a silver 2000 Honda Accord for an observed traffic violation. The officer made contact with the driver, who was identified by Oregon Identification Card as 45-year-old Adam Clayton Davis of Salem, Oregon. During the contact, the officer determined that Davis’ Oregon driver’s license was suspended, he had no insurance, and there was an active misdemeanor warrant for his arrest issued out of the Dallas Municipal Court for Failing To Appear on a Traffic Offense. The warrant was confirmed and Davis was taken into custody.
An inventory of the vehicle prior to towing was conducted, at which time the officer located a plastic baggy containing a white crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine. The vehicle was subsequently seized under a seizure warrant and transported back to the police department. An additional search warrant was obtained to search the vehicle, which yielded a large amount of a white crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine, along with other drug paraphernalia that was seized. A preliminary test of the white crystal substance indicated a presumptive positive indication for methamphetamine.
Davis was transported to the Lincoln County Jail and lodged on the misdemeanor warrant, as well as the following charges: Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine with Commercial Drug Factors, and Unlawful Manufacture of Methamphetamine. Davis was also cited for driving with a suspended license and driving uninsured.
This case is a great example of how proactive police work and traffic enforcement efforts help to reduce criminal activity in our community.
On Saturday, October 28, 2023 at around 10:45 PM, the Lincoln City Police received reports of several shots being fired in the area of Kirtsis Park on NE 22nd St. An Officer responded to the area and upon arrival located a vehicle occupied by 21-year-old Randall Brooks III, of Grand Ronde. Near the vehicle was a freshly deceased buck deer, but the deer’s cause of death was not immediately apparent to the officer. After obtaining a statement from Brooks, who denied any involvement or knowledge of the animal’s death, he was initially released from the scene.
After Brooks departed, a more thorough inspection of the deceased deer was completed and during that inspection, some small caliber bullet wounds were located on the animal. Officers then canvassed the park and located evidence that directly implicated Brooks to the killing of the deer.
The vehicle occupied by Brooks was subsequently stopped by Grand Ronde Tribal Police. The Lincoln City Police seized the vehicle and obtained a search warrant for it. During the search, a 9 mm pistol was located in the vehicle, as well as other evidence connecting Brooks to the crime. Brooks was subsequently arrested on October 31, 2023 and transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was lodged on charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unlawful Taking of Wildlife.
An Oregon State Police Game Trooper was contacted during the incident and the contact information for a person who could come salvage the deceased deer was obtained. The Lincoln City Police would like to thank the Grand Ronde Tribal Police for their assistance with this case.
Submitted by: Lieutenant Jeffrey Winn