Gettysburg National Military Park (PA)
Attempted Armed Abduction
A 22-year-old woman has told rangers that she was the victim of an
attempted armed abduction in the park around 5 p.m.
on Tuesday, April 6th. While driving along Colgrove
Avenue, she saw a man standing along the side of the road, waving his
arms as if needing help. She stopped and got out of her car, at which
point the man placed a knife to her throat and attempted to force her
into the trunk of her vehicle. She was able to escape by running into a
wooded area. The man, who was described as a white male wearing all
black clothing, fled the scene. The investigation is
continuing.
[Submitted by Tim Sorber, Supervisory Park Ranger]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Kidnapping and Sexual Assault
On March 30th, a 14-year-old girl called park dispatch from an
emergency call box at Government Wash and reported that she'd been
abducted and pushed into a waiting motor vehicle outside a theater in
Las Vegas, then driven out to Lake Mead. She was then forced to drink a
liquid, possibly containing the drug Ecstacy, robbed of her purse, and
sexually assaulted. She escaped from the vehicle at Government Wash and
contacted a park volunteer there. The volunteer stayed with her until
rangers arrived. A search of the area proved fruitless. A joint
investigation with Las Vegas Metro PD is underway.
[Submitted by Mike
Blandford, Special Agent]
Acadia National Park (ME)
Bicycling Fatality
On Saturday, April 3rd, S.K., 63, of Washougal,
Washington, was killed in a bicycling accident while riding on the Park
Loop Road. The Loop Road is closed to motor vehicles at this time of
year, and S.K. and his son were taking advantage of good weather and
the car-free riding conditions. According to S.K.'s son, his father
was traveling at approximately 20 miles per hour when the two came upon
one of the road's four gates. The son was able to stop in time, but the
father was launched over the front of his bicycle while attempting to
stop, landing on his head and striking the gate with his lower back and
pelvis. Attempts to revive him at the scene were unsuccessful and
he was later pronounced dead at Mount Desert Island Hospital, with the
cause of death attributed to a C-2 spinal fracture. The
investigation continues.
[Submitted by Stuart West, Branch
Chief — Remote Areas ]
Coronado National Memorial (AZ)
Seizure of Smuggled Marijuana
Rangers Joe Larson and Nate Mazurek were patrolling in the area off
Joe's Canyon trail near Coronado Peak just after noon on April 5th when
Mazurek saw a man trying to conceal himself in some trees near a rock
outcropping about 150 yards away. While he kept an eye on the man,
Larson circled around to the back side of the outcropping. As Larson
approached the man's position, eleven people appeared and fled south
toward the Mexican border. Larson apprehended the man that Mazurek was
watching. A brief search of the area led to the discovery of a burlap
pack containing marijuana. Border Patrol agents and a dog were requested
to assist in a further search of the area. A total of 237 pounds of
marijuana was found and seized. The case is being prosecuted by the NPS
through the U.S. Attorney's Office.
[Submitted by Thane Weigand,
Chief Ranger]
FIRE MANAGEMENT
National Interagency Fire Center
NIFC Situation Report - Thursday, April 8, 2004
Preparedness Level 1
Initial attack was light nationally on Wednesday. A total of 353 new fires were reported — six of them became large fires, while another seven large fires were contained.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in the following state: Georgia.
National Resource Commitments
| Day | Thu |
| Date | 4/8 |
| Crews | 15 |
| Engines | 142 |
| Helicopters | 13 |
| Air Tankers | 0 |
| Overhead | 216 |
National Team Commitments
| State | Type Team | Team IC | Fire/Location | Acres 4/7 | Acres 4/8 | Percent Contain | Est. Full Contain |
| WA | T1 | Ferguson | East Fork Fire, National Forest in FL | --- | 8,400 | 20% | 4/20 |
Park Fire Situation
No reports.
PARKS AND PEOPLE
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IN)
Joe Weiszczyk Retires
Special Agent Joe Wieszczyk has retired after over 32 years of distinguished service.
After a stint in the Air Force Joe started out at Grand Teton as a seasonal ranger in fee collection, and was a campground ranger and road patrolman. He then worked briefly for the Army Corps of Engineers in Illinois as a park technician to get permanent status.
His first NPS permanent job was a park technician at Grand Canyon. Joe supervised the Backcountry Office and assisted South Rim Protection with LE, EMS, SAR and structural fire. After two years at the Canyon, Joe transferred to Canyonlands as the Needles District's assistant district ranger, remaining there for a four year period. In 1984, Joe began a three-year assignment at Dinosaur as the Green River district ranger.
Joe then moved to Indiana Dunes to be near his family. In 1987, Joe started as a supervisory park ranger, a position he held until he was promoted to criminal investigator/special agent in 1993.
Joe has received numerous special achievement awards and has been recognized for his investigative work in several very large investigations. He is well known in the NPS and the surrounding area by scores of agencies.
Joe will be moving to Illinois. After settling in, he will be looking into part time work and will play the rest of the time. Joe wants to visit some of the parks he's not had a chance to see.
A celebration of this new phase of Joe's life will be held at 6 p.m. on April 30th at the Valparaiso Fraternal Order of Police Meeting Place, located on Don Hovey Valparaiso Street. Reservations are required to attend. Contact Claudia Clalden at 219-926-7561, extension 300, or via email at Claudia_Chalden@nps.gov for reservations and for directions to the party.
We invite friends who cannot attend to send letters to be read at the ceremony. Pictures of Joe and friends and messages should be sent to Debra_Maddox@NPS.gov
Joe can still be reached at 4101 N. 1100 W, Michigan City, IN. 46360.
Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found on the left side of the front page of InsideNPS. All reports should be submitted via email to Bill Halainen at Delaware Water Gap NRA, with a copy to your regional office and a copy to Dennis Burnett in Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO.
Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement and Emergency Services, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.