Ronan Police see hectic start to new year
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RONAN — The new year has gotten off to a busy start for the Ronan Police Department, with arrests in several felony cases in just the first half of January, Ronan assistant police chief Art Walgren said.
“It’s just really swamped us lately,” Walgren said. “We normally have little spurts (of crime), but this spurt has lasted quite a while.”
On Jan. 15, a routine traffic stop at about 6:30 p.m. turned into a drug bust when officer Troy Rexin found 32 grams of marijuana — just over an ounce — sandwich bags and a digital scale in a vehicle he pulled over. Some of the marijuana was already packaged for sale, and the remainder was in bulk, Walgren said.
The vehicle’s occupants were two Ronan residents, 22-year-old Jonathan Couture and 19-year-old Shayla Cote. Both were arrested and booked in the Lake County Jail on felony charges of distribution of dangerous drugs, and the vehicle was impounded. Walgren and tribal officer Casey Couture also assisted on the stop.
On the previous weekend, Ronan officers discovered a stolen vehicle after they stopped it on suspicion of drunk driving around noon on Jan. 8. The vehicle had crossed the double yellow line several times, and when Walgren spoke to the driver, he immediately admitted to drinking, Walgren said. The driver, who was identified as 34-year-old Richard Messerly, formerly of Missoula, also said he was thinking about running from police.
After calling in the driver and vehicle information to dispatch, Walgren learned the vehicle was stolen. Lake County Sheriff’s deputy Ernie Cahala responded to assist Walgren, and they took Messerly into custody. He was charged with felony possession of a stolen vehicle, DUI and open container of an alcoholic beverage in a vehicle and remains in custody at the Lake County Jail.
The next day, Jan. 9, Ronan Police arrested a Hot Springs woman who allegedly wrote two bad checks to the Starlite Motel before a visit to the Ronan Dairy Queen, where police located the woman. After determining that she had written a check to Dairy Queen from the same account, which had been closed since Nov. 23, police arrested 34-year-old Nichole Parker and charged her with issuing bad checks — common scheme, a felony.
According to Walgren, the three checks totaled about $178, and several other checks were missing from Parker’s checkbook. The investigation is ongoing.
Ronan Police have also been investigating a series of burglaries that occurred mostly in November and December in the Ronan area. Between 10 and 20 home and vehicle burglaries may be connected, Walgren said, and “(the case) may date back to some prior ones.”
As the investigation is ongoing, Walgren couldn’t say what was stolen in the break-ins or how valuable the items were.
“We’re following up on leads at this point,” Walgren said, noting that RPD is working with Tribal Law and Order in the investigation. “I don’t know how much of this is going to get cleared up right now.”
Anyone with tips relating to the burglaries can call the Ronan Police Department at (406) 676-0223.
“We’re always looking for information,” Walgren said.
