Josephine County Sheriff's Office

10/29/2026

🍂🍁With the 2026 Fire Season being officially put behind us, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the outstanding job our fire partners did this year. We had several close calls to populated areas, and while there sadly were some losses, your Professional Firefighters acted aggressively and mitigated what could have been a very tragic fire season. We can also all appreciate that our valleys weren’t socked in with smoke all summer!

We would like to recognize ODF Southwest Oregon District for their coordination of resources and the ability to get air support almost immediately on nearly all our fires this season. We would also like to recognize each of our local fire agencies that responded with ODF to keep each fire as small as possible: Rural Metro Fire - Josephine County, Grants Pass Fire , Illinois Valley Fire District, Williams Rural Fire Protection District, Applegate Fire District , Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District, Jackson County Fire District #1.

Additionally, we’d like to recognize Josephine County Emergency Management for keeping our citizens informed throughout each of our incidents through JoCo Citizen Alerts. https://member.everbridge.net/1332612387832182/login

Lastly, thank you to our human resource partners Rogue Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster, Oregon Department of Human Services, and Red Cross Cascades Region for their quick response to provide sheltering to those in need.

As a reminder, even though fire season is over, we haven’t received a lot of rain. It’s still dry out there. Please use caution when burning.

10/27/2026

INCIDENT: Hit and Run Crash with Injuries

INCIDENT DATE / TIME: 10/26/2026 at 7:17pm

REPORTING DEPUTY: Sgt. Stanton

ARRESTED: Arthur Espinoza, 40-year-old male

CHARGES: Assault III - Felony
Hit and Run Accident with Injury - Felony
Reckless Driving
Attempted Assault IV

DETAILS: On October 26th, 2026, 9-1-1 received a call for a head-on crash on North Frontage Road in Wolf Creek. Both vehicles were reported to be in the roadway and on fire.

Enroute units were advised that the driver who caused the crash fled on foot towards the freeway after trying to assault an occupant of the other vehicle. The driver was located by the Oregon State Police near mile post 75 of Interstate 5 and detained.

Responding units arrived to find both vehicles fully engulfed in flames. Both occupants of the other vehicle were transported to Three Rivers Community Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Arthur Espinoza was identified as the driver who fled. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the above-mentioned charges. The initial investigation shows Espinoza was traveling south at a high rate of speed in the northbound lane on North Frontage Road and struck an oncoming vehicle head-on near the exit 76 on ramp. North Frontage Road was closed for approximately 2 hours due to extensive clean-up of both burnt vehicles.

The Oregon State Police additionally charged Espinoza with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants and Disorderly Conduct II.

No further information will be released at this time.

10/27/2026

INCIDENT NUMBER: 26-29466

INCIDENT DATE AND TIME: October 26, 2026, at 5:07pm

REPORTING DEPUTY: Corporal Hart

INCIDENT TYPE: Fatal Motor Vehicle Crash

DECEASED: Brent Smith, 54-year-old-male

On October 26th, 2026, at 5:07 pm, 9-1-1 was notified of a motor vehicle crash on BLM road 38-6-1 near Spencer Creek Road in Murphy.

Rural Metro Fire, AMR, Oregon State Police, and Josephine County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrived to find a pickup truck rolled off an embankment and the driver had been ejected. The driver was deceased upon arrival and was the only occupant in the vehicle.

The initial investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling towards Spencer Creek on a gravel BLM road. The vehicle left the roadway, and went down an embankment, striking several trees, before coming to rest on its side nearly 500 feet down from the roadway. Josephine County Search & Rescue's Rope Team was activated and successfully recovered Brent.

Next of kin has been notified. Our deepest condolences go out to Brent’s family and friends during this difficult time.

We would like to thank Search and Rescue Rope Rescue Team for assisting in the recovery. No further information will be released at this time.

10/20/2026

10/16/2026

UPDATE: DAMEIAN HAS BEEN LOCATED SAFE.

MISSING PERSON / RUNAWAY: Ray, Dameian

Name: Dameian Ray
Age: 15
S*x: Male
Race: Caucasian
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 120
Hair: Blonde/Light Brown
Eyes: Brown

Case: 26-28405

Information: Dameian ran away from his residence in the Murphy area on October 15th, 2026, around 07:26 PM. Dameian was wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans, black hat, and sandals.

If you have any information, please contact Josephine County Sheriff's Office, 541-474-5123.

10/16/2026

UPDATE: ASHLEY HAS BEEN LOCATED SAFE.

MISSING PERSON

Name: Ashely Wylie
Age: 33
S*x: Female
Race: Caucasian
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 125
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Hazel

Case: 26-28404

Information: On October 15th, 2026 around 1:00pm, Ashley Wylie was last seen on foot in the Allen Creek area of Grants Pass. Ashley was wearing a light tan jacket and long black pants. Her directions of travel is unknown.

If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Ashley, please call Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, 541-474-5123.

10/15/2026

RELEASE DATE: October 15, 2026

INCIDENT: Accidental Drowning

VICTIM: 2-Year-Old Male

INCIDENT DATE / TIME: October 14, 2026, 10:48am

CASE NUMBER: 26-28233

REPORTING DEPUTY: Lieutenant Jim Geiger

DETAILS: On October 14, 2026, at 10:48 am, Deputies were dispatched to a missing child call in the 100 block of Burch Drive located outside of Cave Junction, Oregon.

Prior to Deputy arrival, family members located the child unconscious in the Illinois River that runs behind the family’s property.

Deputies and family members performed CPR on the child until an ambulance from American Medical Response arrived on scene.

The child was transported to a local hospital where he subsequently passed away.

Detectives from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and conducted an investigation. A Medicolegal Death Investigator from the District Attorney’s Office responded, and at the time of this press release, there is no evidence of foul play. Next of kin have been notified.

Out of respect to the family, names will not be released. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends during this difficult time.

10/09/2026

RELEASE DATE: October 9 ,2026

INCIDENT: Animal Neglect Arrest

CASE: 26-27322

REPORTING DEPUTY: ACO Supervisor Audisio

ARRESTED: Radomsky, Roxanda, 72 years old

CHARGES: First Degree Animal Neglect x 1
Second Degree Animal Neglect x 6

DETAILS: On October 4, 2026, Josephine County Animal Control received a complaint of possible animal neglect. The following day, Animal Control Officers (ACO) made contact with Roxanda Radomsky to begin an investigation into the allegations. ACOs offered solutions and attempted to assist Radomsky with her situation and gave her a deadline to remedy the situation, to which she failed to comply with.

On October 8, 2026, Josephine County Animal Control Officers, assisted by Josephine County Sheriff's Office Detectives and Grants Pass Police Department, served a search warrant at Radomsky’s residence on NE Ridge Road in Grants Pass. During the search warrant, 4 dogs, 1 cat, and 2 large pigs were seized from inside of the residence. Radomsky was placed into custody and lodged at the Josephine County Adult Jail on the above listed charges. All 7 animals have been examined and are receiving necessary care.

At the time of this press release no further details are being released.

10/09/2026

"NEWS RELEASE FROM OREGON STATE POLICE:
October 9th, 2026 8:34am

MISSING NEVADA MAN IDENTIFIED AFTER REMAINS FOUND IN JOSEPHINE COUNTY

JOSEPHINE COUNTY, Ore. (9 October 2026) – On October 1, 2026, Andrew Forrest Odom, 67, of Incline Village, Nevada, was reported missing to the Medford Police Department.

The initial investigation found Odom had traveled from Carson City, Nevada, to Medford on September 21, 2026. His last known whereabouts were in Josephine County on September 22, 2026. As the investigation progressed into Josephine County and suspicious circumstances were identified, the investigation was transferred to the Oregon State Police and the Josephine County Major Crime Team was activated.

On October 6, 2026, OSP detectives contacted a subject during the follow-up investigation in the 10000 block of Williams Highway in rural Josephine County. During the contact, the subject fled into a residence and fired shots at detectives. Tactical resources from the Grants Pass Police Department and the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area.

After officers cleared the residence, two deceased individuals with apparent gunshot wounds were located inside. The Medford Police Department led the investigation into the shooting. The deceased were identified as Rick Odom, 73, and his son, Spencer Odom, 40. Spencer Odom died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Rick Odom was the brother of missing person Andrew Odom.

On October 8, 2026, detectives, assisted by the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, located human remains buried on the property where the shooting occurred. The remains were identified as Andrew Odom.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Josephine County Major Crime Team consists of members from the Oregon State Police, Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, and Josephine County District Attorney’s Office. The team is being assisted by the Medford Police Department and the Oregon State Police Crime Lab. "