This morning, November 5, at about 7 a.m., Eugene Police Street Crimes Unit led a search warrant service operation at a home that had drawn numerous complaints from residents in the Whiteaker neighborhood, arresting six individuals, with a seventh taken directly to drug court.
In the past five years, there were 71 calls to police regarding the residence, 992 W. 4th Avenue. The Street Crimes Unit began receiving tips from the local neighborhood association, as well as Eugene Police Crime Prevention Office. Last week, there were three complaints in one day. SCU was created for purposes like this. They make a dynamic difference in a variety of public safety issues including on emerging crimes and neighborhood livability issues. This team creates capacity within the organization to address and solve problems throughout the city of Eugene. SCU is a tangible outcome of the one-time,18-month bridge funding by Eugene City Council and started service in April 2019.
The search warrant this morning resulted in the arrest of six individuals and another was taken to drug court from the residence. The search warrant also yielded user amounts of heroin and methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, controlled substance pills with prescribed names not tied to residents, two drivers licenses not tied to residents, four UO student IDs not tied to residents, one near-hit possible stolen REI co-op bicycle (matches description of a stolen item without a serial number), and several pounds of suspected homemade butane hash oil. Butane hash oil manufacturing has been linked to residential explosions, fires and injuries. Some property recovered was from a burglary on November 4, 2019. An abatement process to close the residence is being pursued.
Arrested were:
- Leathan Daniel Johnsgard, age 24: Unlawful Possession Controlled Substance Heroin, Frequenting a Place Controlled Substances are Used, Probation Violation warrant
- Everett John Hallbach, age 34: Unlawful Possession Controlled Substance Methamphetamine, Probation Violation
- Juniper Vena Frazer, age 48: Theft in the Second Degree Warrant
- Pauline Natalie Krieger, age 50: Unlawful Possession Controlled Substance Schedule 1 – Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Benjamin Larsen, age 26: Probation Violation
- Nancy Jean Fritz, age 62: DUII Warrant (Springfield Police Department warrant)
- A seventh individual was taken to drug court by Lane County Parole and Probation
The search warrant was completed with a team comprised of EPD SCU, SWAT, K9, Crime Analysis Unit, Evidence Control Unit, Baliff, Animal Services, City of Eugene Code Compliance, Lane County Parole and Probation, and Northwest Hazmat.
Eugene Police Street Crimes Unit
The SCU has been focusing on prolific offenders, who are identified through intelligence-based policing, public tips and other sources. They have been proactively responding across the city to quality of life issues as they arise, using all available resources and partners such as community groups, neighborhood associations and city services.
SCU is dedicated to targeting immediate and acute community safety system issues while working toward mission-critical enhancements that need to be addressed through a longer-term and broader community safety initiative. The unit currently consists of a lieutenant, two sergeants and eight officers.