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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Friday, October 5, 2007 =============================================================================================================== NOTICE President Bush has directed that all flags be lowered to half staff on Sunday in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. See HYPERLINK "http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071004-5.html" http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071004-5. html INCIDENTS Indiana Dunes NL Confrontation With Violent Campers Leads To Three Arrests Before leaving work around 10 p.m. on the evening of September 22nd, ranger Jennifer Jackson investigated several complaints of loud noise - well past the start of quiet hours - at the Dunewood campground. Jackson and the campground host found a 40-year-old man and his 19-year-old and 14-year-old sons yelling and playing loud music at their wooded walk-in campsite. There were numerous beer cans and liquor bottles around the campsite. Jackson talked to them about the loud noise and about their violations of the campground's alcohol closure. They were not cooperative, so she called for backup from rangers Kelsey Cassidy and Rich Eshenaur, who were 15 minutes away. The father and both sons were intoxicated and admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the evening. During the contact, the father repeatedly disobeyed rangers' orders to remain seated. When Eshenaur attempted to take him into custody, he became combative and a struggle ensued. The father repeatedly threatened Eshenaur's life. The two sons attempted to rescue their father, but Cassidy prevented them from doing so with the threat of pepper spray. During the struggle, five more people arrived at the campsite to join the party. Jackson controlled and searched the new arrivals, one of whom had a BB gun hidden in his sweatshirt. Jackson cited him and ordered all five to leave the park. Meanwhile, Eshenau got the father handcuffed without further incident. The father and both sons have criminal records and all possessed large folding knives. Throughout the contact, the father attempted to retrieve a cane, which he said that he needed for mobility. Jackson had secured the cane when she first arrived at the scene and denied several of his requests to return it to him. Upon examination, Jackson discovered that the cane concealed a nineteen-inch sword. Multiple charges are pending against the father and both sons, and felony charges are being considered. [Mike Bremer, Chief Ranger] Golden Gate NRA Car Clouter Caught By Rangers And Arrested During the months since this past January, rangers and Park Police officers have taken 28 reports of car clouts in the Battery Spencer parking lot, a popular area for visitors to get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. Rangers Ron Heeren, Steve Cunningham, Bruce Phillips and Mike Hardin worked out a plan to watch the area over the last weekend in September in an effort to apprehend whoever was responsible for these break-ins. On the afternoon of September 29th, Cunningham saw a heavyset man engaging in suspicious activities in the lot. He drove to the lot several times over a period of 45 minutes, each time getting out of his car, walking around the lot, and peering into vehicle windows. On his last visit to the lot, he waited for a visitor to leave his vehicle, then reached inside and removed a wallet. Cunningham notified rangers Shannon Jay and John Goodwin and asked them to stop the man's vehicle. The rangers made a felony stop a quarter mile above the Battery Spencer lot. The driver, who was subsequently identified as Oscar L.M.-C., a Peruvian national, was taken into custody. The rangers found the wallet in his possession. USPP officer Ken Rawles and ranger Bob Del Secco searched L.M.-C.'s vehicle and found property that did not belong to him. Sergeant detective Bob Jansing placed calls to ICE and determined that Mendizabel-Cuya was in the country illegally. L.M.-C.remains under investigation by the Park Police Criminal Investigations Branch and by special agents with ICE. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor] OTHER NEWS The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites are, respectively, HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ and ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/). * Haleakala NP - A safety stand-down was ordered on Wednesday for all commercially-guided downhill bike tours following several fatalities and serious accidents. The stand-down, which goes into effect on October 10th, will affect the seven companies that hold commercial use authorizations to operate within the park * Bryce Canyon NP - Navajo Loop Trail, Bryce's most popular below-the-rim route, is open again following a 14-month closure due to a significant rock fall. * Joshua Tree NP - Ranger Jan Lemons recently competed in the Nevada Police and Fire Games in Las Vegas. She competed in seven track events over a two-day period in temperatures over 100 degrees and won gold medals in the 50 and 100 meter races and silver medals in the 200 and 1600 meter races. * * * * * Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828). --- ### --- |