NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Monday, September 18, 2006

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INCIDENTS

Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP

Investigation Into Car Clouts Culminates With Two Arrests

Over the course of this past summer, rangers from Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks conducted a successful investigation into a rash of auto burglaries that occurred in May and June at trailheads in the two parks. The investigation culminated with the arrests of two local residents on identity theft and stolen property charges. Rangers identified 27 victims in the spring car clouts - 21 at Olympic and another six at Mount Rainier. A surveillance operation was begun at Olympic, but was unsuccessful. Investigators discovered, however, that credit cards stolen from visitors had been used in several stores in the Aberdeen and Olympia area. They traced a receipt from a Wal-Mart store to a purchase made by M.P. of Aberdeen, who was already a suspect in previous burglary and larceny cases at Olympic. Based on this and other evidence, an arrest and search warrant was issued for M.P. by the Aberdeen Police Department. In early July, Olympic rangers assisted Aberdeen officers with the execution of the warrant at M.P.'s residence. A number of stolen items (backpacks, tents, clothing, men's wallets, etc.) were found in M.P.'s room. Rangers cataloged and removed over 150 items from the home as evidence. During the search, an entrance receipt for Mount Rainier was seized. Mount Rainier rangers then retrieved and reviewed entrance station video footage which placed M.P. and a female companion, identified as A.C., at the park on the date of the larcenies. They were also able to obtain bank surveillance photos showing A.C. attempting to cash stolen checks at two separate banks. Rangers believe that A.C. assisted M.P. and used stolen checks and credit cards after the thefts. During a subsequent search of A.C.'s residence, a stolen phone card was recovered as well as a notebook containing serial numbers for a laptop which had been reported stolen at Mount Rainier. M.P. has been charged with identity theft and possession of stolen property in state court; A.C. has been charged with identity theft. During interviews with M.P., rangers obtained written statements admitting to the crimes. Rangers from the two parks are jointly managing the case. Federal charges against M.P. and A.C. are pending. Click on “More Information” for a related news story. [Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer]

HYPERLINK "http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2006/08/09/local_news/06news.txt" http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2006/08/09/local_news/06news.txt

Rocky Mountain NP

Vehicle Fire With Injuries

A park visitor came to the Alpine Visitor Center around noon on Thursday, September 14th, and reported a vehicle fire a quarter mile west of the Forest Canyon overlook on Trail Ridge Road. A ranger was on scene within ten minutes, but by that time the 1990 Jeep Wrangler was completely engulfed in flames. The utility trailer that the Jeep was pulling had also caught on fire, as had a small section of tundra near the road. A passerby had picked up the driver and passenger and taken them to Estes Park Medical Center. The driver, 65, sustained serious burns; his wife, 61, suffered only minor burns. The driver was flown to the burn unit at North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley. The Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department extinguished the blaze. The cause is being investigated. [Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer]

Voyageurs NP

Discovery, Remediation of Hazardous Waste Site

During the spring of 2005, rangers received information concerning the presence of a buried hazardous waste site within the boundaries of the park adjacent to a major navigable body of water. An initial investigation, conducted by ranger Kevin Sheffer, led to the discovery of debris and diesel fuel emanating from a site with disturbed soil at an abandoned use and occupancy reservation cabin. A two-year-long effort to evaluate and remove contaminants was completed last month. Ongoing investigations have substantiated the use of a backhoe that was barged to the site by a former cabin owner and used to dig a hole for disposal of fuel, solid waste and pesticides. Over 200 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed by barge and replaced with clean material. Cleanup efforts and criminal investigation were complex due to the remote nature of the site, accessible only by water, and were coordinated by regional engineer Dick Fisher. Participating were the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency. The total cost exceeded $300,000. A suspect has been identified, but has declined to talk to investigators. The case is currently under review for criminal charges and civil penalties. [Jim Hummel, Chief Ranger]

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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