Smoky fire leads to Aberdeen arrest for reckless burning

An Aberdeen woman was arrested and charged with second degree reckless burning and third degree malicious mischief after witnesses said she piled an ex-roommate’s possessions into her driveway and set them ablaze.

Aberdeen Police Lt. Kevin Darst said flames were 20 feet in the air and a column of black smoke could be seen from some distance when officers were dispatched just after 8 p.m. Wednesday. While Aberdeen firefighters knocked down the fire, officers spoke to neighbors who identified the suspect as the resident the house, located in the 1000 block of West Cushing. When police contacted the suspect she admitted to dumping the items in the driveway but denied setting them ablaze. She was arrested and a search produced a lighter found in her pants pocket. It was taken into evidence. Darst said the woman was advised of her rights, which she immediately invoked, ending any chance to interview her. The value of the property was placed at around $600.

Aberdeen’s new Street Crimes Unit detail yields immediate results

The Aberdeen Police Department started a new Street Crimes Unit detail Wednesday, with two officers working from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to Aberdeen Police Lt. Kevin Darst. They made five arrests that day, including a man arrested in South Aberdeen who had an outstanding felony warrant for three counts of California’s Lewd Act upon a Child by Force, Violence or Menace — meaning against a child younger than 14. Darst said his department assisted the Santa Rosa, Calif. Police Department “in securing possible evidence in their case.” In another incident, two men were arrested in the north alley of 600 block of West Wishkah Street: one for an outstanding Department of Corrections warrant, the other for having a concealed spring loaded knife and a syringe loaded with methamphetamine. Two other municipal court warrant arrests were made during the patrol, said Darst.

Darst said the Street Crimes Unit does proactive police work in all aspects of criminal activities in the City of Aberdeen. They are a specialty unit that works outside of normal patrol work trying to decrease the crime in the city.

“It will cover the current crimes trends that the city is experiencing with a broad range of crimes being targeted,” said Darst.

The department has been hiring new officers to “back fill” the police officer positions getting assigned to the Street Crimes Unit, said Darst. While the new officers are trained, existing officers will be assigned to the unit on a temporary basis “to get a head start on this emphasis.”