Police Scanner – June 1 – June 7

A driver slowing to stop for a red light on River Road at North Sunset Avenue on Saturday, June 6, was struck by a truck whose driver didn’t stop, according to Keizer police.

About a half hour after the 5:30 p.m. crash, police were called by the truck driver to report the accident. Luis Angel Francisco Bartolo, 24, of Keizer, was arrested for DUII and failing to perform the duties of a driver.

• A Keizer woman reported to police at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, that an argument with her boyfriend grew into an assault. She said she was grabbed by the throat and punched several times in the face at a home on Northeast Arleta Place.

Christopher D. Shuck, 59, was arrested for domestic harassment, menacing, strangulation and possession of methamphetamine, according to Keizer police.

MONDAY, JUNE 1

5:24 p.m. – Criminal mischief I – crime damage in the 6400 Block of Keizer Station Blvd NE

5:24 p.m. – Failure to perform duties of driver when property is damaged in the 6400 Block of Keizer Station Blvd NE

6:26 p.m. – Criminal mischief III – crime damage in the 1200 Block of Susan Ct NE

6:52 p.m. – Harassment – physical in the 3700 Block of Homestead Ct NE

8:55 p.m. – Driving while suspended/revoked – misd. in the 3800 Block of River Rd N

8:55 p.m. – Unlawful possession of firearm in the 3800 Block of River Rd N

TUESDAY, JUNE 2

9:49 a.m. – Assist rendered – welfare check in the 8000 Block of Oneil Rd NE

3:34 p.m. – Assist rendered – gov in the 1200 Block of Mcgee Ct NE

6:10 p.m. – Assault IV – simple (misd.) in the 3700 Block of Cherry Ave NE

6:10 p.m. – Harassment – physical in the 3700 Block of Cherry Ave NE

7:16 p.m. – Susp – activity in the 4900 Block of 13th Ave N

9:04 p.m. – Harassment – physical in the 3700 Block of Cherry Ave NE

9:04 p.m. – Violate release agreement in the 3700 Block of Cherry Ave NE

9:47 p.m. – Drugs – unlawful poss methamphetamine in the 700 Block of Arleta Pl NE

9:47 p.m. – Harassment – physical in the 700 Block of Arleta Pl NE

9:47 p.m. – Menacing – threats/intimidation in the 700 Block of Arleta Pl NE

9:47 p.m. – Strangulation – felony in the 700 Block of Arleta Pl NE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3

2:21 a.m. – Assist rendered – assist EDP in the 100 Block of Garland Wy N

10:33 a.m. – Theft I – all other larceny in the 900 Block of Chemawa Rd NE

10:36 a.m. – Property – found in the 900 Block of Chemawa Rd NE

5:04 p.m. – Failure to perform duties of driver when property is damaged on Alder Dr NE and Pleasant View Dr NE

11:34 p.m. – Criminal mischief II – crime damage in the 2300 Block of Aldine Ct NE

THURSDAY, JUNE 4

12:24 p.m. – Drugs – unlawful poss methamphetamine in the 5400 Block of River Rd N

12:24 p.m. – Theft II – shoplifting in the 5400 Block of River Rd N

3:30 p.m. – Theft II – from building in the 900 Block of Chemawa Rd NE

4:39 p.m. – Harassment – physical in the 1800 Block of Alder Dr NE

FRIDAY, JUNE 5

12:39 a.m. – Disorderly conduct 2nd deg in the 5100 Block of River Rd N

10:21 a.m. – Criminal mischief II – vandalism in the 4900 Block of River Rd N

7:11 p.m. – Theft II – shoplifting in the 6400 Block of Keizer Station Blvd NE

SATURDAY, JUNE 6

10:33 a.m. – Theft II – all other larceny in the 1500 Block of Chemawa Rd N

5:36 p.m. – Driving under the influence of intoxicants – misd. in the 4100 Block of River Rd N

5:36 p.m. – Failure to perform duties of driver to injured persons in the 4100 Block of River Rd N

7:49 p.m. – Susp – activity on 12th Ave NE and Brandon St NE

9:39 p.m. – Criminal trespass II in the 3800 Block of Cherry Ave NE

SUNDAY, JUNE 7

11:43 p.m. – Susp – possible sex offense in the 500 Block of Juedes Ave N

11:58 p.m. – Driving under the influence of intoxicants – misd. in the 200 Block of Cummings Ln N

NOTE: Information is provided by the Keizer Police Department. The agency has removed specific addresses. 

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When students enter Stephanie Lassetter’s class each day, they are welcomed with “Good morning, sunshines!”

A math teacher of over 20 years, Lassetter began greeting students this way six years ago during the pandemic, as a method of connecting with students when classes were held online. She considered her students to be “bright spots” during her days, inspiring the greeting. 

“They make my day a little better, and if I can do that for them, I’m happy to do that,” Lassetter said, who teaches at McNary High School. 

Efforts to support her students such as this one, balanced with high expectations and engaging lessons, helped Lassetter earn a Crystal Apple Award this year. 

The annual award recognizes educators across the Salem-Keizer School District for excelling in their roles. 

One other Keizer educator received the recognition in May, also teaching at McNary High School. 

Across Keizer schools, 16 educators received nominations. 

Three letters of recommendation by colleagues and a student backed Lassetter’s nomination, describing her as a leader in the school who balances academic rigor with support for students.

“For the warmth, brilliance, and life she brings to education every single day, she is more than deserving of the Crystal Apple Award,” wrote Lauren Sears, another McNary teacher. 

Lassetter said building student relationships is a priority for her, and a desire to do so inspired her to enter the field. Lassetter recalled a middle school basketball coach and a math teacher who she felt built good relationships with students while she was in school. She hoped to do the same as a teacher. 

Lassetter said students commonly enter class believing they are “bad at math.” She aims to shift that mindset through connections with students and project-based lessons that help students understand the practical applications of math. 

Lassetter said she hopes to instill a belief in students that, “yeah, it’s hard, but you can do hard things.”

After graduating high school in Harrisburg, a small town between Albany and Eugene, Lassetter was the first in her family to attend college and did so Western Oregon University. She returned to her high school to teach for one year, followed by another year at Corvallis High School, before she started at McNary High School. 

Lassetter said she starts the year with simple projects, such as building a device to protect an egg from breaking during a drop. Through the project, she wants to get students comfortable with failing and learning from that.

This skill serves students as coursework becomes more challenging, she said.

All nomination letters highlighted engaging lessons taught in her data science class and contextualized algebra II class. That ranges from gathering data on plants to the “murder unit” involving a murder mystery.

Lassetter explained that during the algebra class’s “murder unit,” students learn how to use logarithms. This is the mathematical inverse of an exponent, and students learn by solving a murder mystery.

Students are given a scenario of a murder committed on campus, a list of suspects, and the temperature of the body when it was found. Students use logarithms to determine when the murder occurred based on the body temperature, and match that to the suspect who was in the area at that time.  

“It’s rigorous, collaborative, and exactly the kind of learning students remember for years,” Assistant Principal Phil Kelly said in a nomination letter. 

Lassetter said the algebra class’s approach separates it from a typical math class, because she measures proficiency through the projects instead of more traditional assessments. 

She created the projects around four or five years ago, hoping to shift away from a traditional math class and build critical thinking skills into her lessons.

“There’s a lot of students that have felt super unsuccessful on traditional tests, and there’s so many different ways for you to show what you’ve learned,” Lassetter said. “Let’s try something different.”

Nomination letters emphasized Lassetter’s care and support of students while steering them towards academic achievements. All noted the “good morning, sunshine,” greeting as providing a welcoming environment in the classroom. 

“She does not simply instruct; she challenges, inspires and holds her students to a standard that reflects her genuine investment in their growth and success,” Kelly wrote.  

Assistant principal Heidi Tavares said Lassetter creates a “culture of aspiration” in a college preparatory class by providing individualized support towards each student’s goals, and celebrating college acceptances by lining the walls of her classroom with acceptance letters. 

Lassetter said the class, run through the Advancement Via Individual Determination program she helps coordinate, is aimed at students from underrepresented demographics across college campuses. Some have been working towards the goal of college through a program, and she aims to recognize that hard work.

Graduating senior Hannah Kellogg shared an anecdote in which Lassetter helped her learn how to balance commitments with personal time to relax. Kellogg said Lassetter celebrated when she learned to decline projects she did not have time for. 

“This is just one of many examples that show how caring, kind, positive and encouraging she really is,” Kellogg wrote. 

Beyond her students, nomination letters noted Lassetter’s support of other McNary staff. Sears, another coordinator for the AVID program, noted an awards program Lassetter created to recognize school employees each month based on student nominations. 

“She recognizes growth, highlights excellence, and creates moments of joy that remind us why we do this work,” Sears wrote. “In doing so, she strengthens our entire community.” 

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at krista@keizertimes.com.

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Two days before walking the stage at graduation, McNary High School seniors dressed in their caps and gowns and returned to the elementary schools they attended 

The annual Parade of Honor, held Wednesday, June 3, puts the seniors in hallways lined with grade schoolers, some holding signs of congratulation. The event is meant to inspire the younger students in school.

Families also attended the event, taking photos of and with their graduates.

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After it was canceled last year, a Keizer camp aiming to foster connections between students and first responders is back this summer.

BLAST Camp, which stands for Bringing Law Enforcement and Students Together, will be open to students entering grades 4 to 6. Scheduled to start Monday, June 29, and go three days, the camp will offer an obstacle course, arts and crafts, K-9 demonstrations and more. 

Alejandra Gallegos, Keizer Police Department executive assistant, said that while activities provide safety education, the primary goal is to ensure kids enjoy their time. 

“We want it to be interactive and fun for them, not just another day full of lessons, Gallegos said.

The camp was established by the agency in 2014. Gallegos said police do not typically show up on people’s doorsteps for good reasons and the agency wanted to create opportunities for children to have positive relations with police. 

This year, Gallegos said the agency, for the first time, is partnering in the camp with the Keizer Fire Department and Marion County Fire District 1. The partnership was spurred because the agencies had similar goals to give students positive experiences with first responders. 

Other vendors this year will include Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Salem SWAT and other public safety and community organizations, Gallegos said in an email. 

The camp will be held at Claggett Creek Middle School, with student check-in beginning daily at 8:30 a.m. and pick up at 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Last year, Gallegos said the camp was cancelled because organizers couldn’t find a location. 

Families can register for the camp for free under the police department’s section of the city of Keizer website, and must due so by Monday, June 15.

The agencies are also seeking volunteers to help run the camp. About 50 volunteers are needed, and about half that number have signed up, Gallegos said. Gallegos said anyone in the community is able to volunteer, including high school students. The agencies are primarily searching for people to assist students through their camp activities, and volunteers can be assigned to roles correlated to their interests or skill sets. 

Volunteers need to be available for training prior to the camp days. People can register to volunteer through the same website in which families can enroll their kids.

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at krista@keizertimes.com.

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A Keizer single mother is being held in jail without bail, accused of attempting to kill her three young sons on a Saturday night by poisoning them with carbon monoxide.

Chardonnay M. Benavidez, 32, is charged in Marion County Circuit Court with three counts of first-degree attempted murder, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and three counts of first-degree attempted assault.

According to a statement from the Keizer Police Department, Benavidez called emergency dispatchers at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6. She reported “her children falling in and out of consciousness after she attempted to kill them, and herself, with carbon monoxide.”

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas “that kills without warning,” according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The gas can’t be detected by humans and impairs people by blocking the body’s ability to process oxygen.

Police and medics found Benavidez in the living room of their south Keizer home on Northeast Holly Court with the children – twin 2-year-old boys and a 4-year-old boy.

“Officers located a vehicle in an attached garage with a makeshift apparatus running from the vehicle’s exhaust pipe that ran into the interior of the vehicle,” the police statement.

The father, Antonio Benavidez, said he later found pillows and blankets in the SUV, “just like they were camping.”

The mother later told a Keizer police detective that she told her boys that they were going to “have a fun slumber party” in the car with popcorn.

The four were taken to Salem Hospital and the children were released the next day to their father, who also lives in Keizer. The mother was arrested that day.

Benavidez made her initial appearance in court on Monday, June 8, where a judge ordered her held without bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, June 17, on an indictment that will replace the initial charges.

The father said Monday that his children “are fine.”

He said he returned with the children to the home in a triplex used by his wife. He said he was stunned by what he found.

“The house was stripped,” he said. He said family photos and finger paintings by the boys were gone.

“There were no clothes. There were no shoes,” he said.

A neighbor told him his wife had been setting out items on the sidewalk, free for the taking.

“We did not see this coming,” he said.

One neighbor said the reported crime was a “huge surprise” involving a mother who watched movies in the back yard with her children.

According to court records, Benavidez married her husband in Hawaii in 2021 and they had one son. The family moved to Keizer in June 2023 and the twin boys were born later that year.

The couple divorced in 2024. The mother sought and was awarded child support.

“I have been out of work for 3 years and I need financial help until I become self-supporting,” she said in her petition.

On a Facebook page maintained by Benavidez, she wrote in one post in April, “I love doing things with my kids.” In another post with a video: “The best thing about me is these three. I’m so lucky to have been chosen to be their mama.”

On June 1, she shared another post about motherhood that said in part, “Not since becoming a mom have I needed someone to remind me to show up for my child.”

Two days later, a post was more despairing. “Pretty sure I’ve survived a hundred heart attacks & i don’t know how much more i can take,” she wrote three days before she summoned police to her home.

An acquaintance shared details about her life, asking not to be identified for concerns over his safety.

“She was one of the best mothers I’ve ever known,” he said. “She was an amazing mother.”

He said she took her children on trips to aquariums and petting zoos. She engaged in crafts.

He said Benavidez was “struggling with her mental health.” She was a U.S. Army veteran and had been seeking help from the federal Veterans Administration.

Benavidez said she suffered from depression for 10 years and was seeing a therapist, according to an affidavit by Detective Roland Farrens of the Keizer Police Department. He wrote that she explained “how she and the kids are stuck in Oregon and she does not have any friends or family here.”

“She was crying out for help,” the acquaintance said.

Contact Editor Les Zaitz: publisher@keizertimes.com.

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Two years in a row, the Keizer Fire District has taken in too much property tax revenue to qualify for state funding for additional staff during wildfire season. 

The fire district, for the past five years, has applied for an Oregon State Fire Marshal grant awarding up to $35,000 for the seasonal personnel. 

The goal of the grant, established in 2022, is to give agencies enough staffing to put out fires while they are small, according to the state fire marshal website and Keizer Fire District Division Chief Brian Butler. 

Butler said these additional staff members can help the district save on overtime costs during the summer. They can respond to brush and wildland fires or fill in for those joining state task forces dispatched to large wildfires.

The state awarded $6 million in grants to 181 of the record 223 agencies that applied. The state fire marshal prioritizes funding for smaller fire agencies earning less than $2 million in property taxes, and the Keizer Fire District is above that threshold.

The Keizer district, like other fire districts, is funded through property tax income and ambulance revenue. Budget documents show the district expects $7.2 million from property taxes during the upcoming fiscal year. 

“This grant is very popular among the structural fire service, and we are seeing more applications each year,” according to Kassie Keller of the state fire marshal’s office. Last year the state received 207 applications. 

Butler said Keizer was awarded the grant three years in a row before being denied in the last two years. The district did not expect to receive the grant this year, he said. 

He said the state gives grants to agencies earning over $2 million based on the next smallest tax income until it runs out of funds to give. The Keizer district was informed that the grant’s increasing popularity meant the state fire marshal ran out of funds before it could award Keizer. 

The fire district still intends to hire three students currently working as volunteer firefighters, Butler said. The district has hired extra staff each summer since the state grant was established, and Butler said two people were hired last summer. 

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The Keizer Community Library wants to keep kids reading over the summer break. 

The library launched this year’s Summer Reading Program on Monday, June 8, with the theme “Plant a Seed, Read.” 

Through the program, preschoolers and elementary students are encouraged to read for 15 minutes a day, and middle and high schoolers for 30 minutes. Each day the goal is achieved, students add a sticker to their reading log. 

Every five days, kids achieving their goals can select a trinket from a chest with items ranging from bouncy balls to Slinkys. After earning 25 stickers, participants are entered into a raffle for a gift card to a business of their choice, such as local Lego stores, Escape Fiction in Salem or a movie theater. 

After 50 stickers, they get a completion certificate, a free book and another raffle entry. Kiara Ramsay, chair of the children’s programming committee, estimates the gift card will be $100.

Anyone over 8 can register for the free program. Participants will be provided a packet containing the reading log, stickers and other items. Materials will be available in both English and Spanish. 

People can register throughout the summer, until the program ends on Saturday, Aug. 29. 

The program also involves a Beyond Books event series each Wednesday at 11 a.m., including events on reptile facts, a bee exhibit from the University of Oregon Museum of Natural History and others. 

The first event, the annual Book Bingo, is on June 17. This event allows kids to win free books, and Ramsay said participants typically take home multiple books. 

“My hope is that kids not only love to read, but they really find a sense of belonging at the library,” Ramsay said. 

Last year, Ramsay said about 250 people registered for the event and 80 completed the program.

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And that’s a wrap for this year’s seniors at McNary High School.

The school’s class of 2026 of 525 students included those who graduated early. The seniors participating in the graduation ceremony on Friday, June 5, gathered at the Oregon State Pavilion at the state fairgrounds in Salem, with their families cheering from the audience. 

Celt Hallie Wofford served as the student speaker, while English teacher Marcus Luther delivered this year’s keynote address.

Luther, winner of a Crystal Apple Award this year, centered his address on community. He highlighted the connections students made with each other through clubs, extracurriculars and sitting next to peers they didn’t know during class. 

Luther encouraged students not to forget the significance of building community after graduating. 

“Take care of yourselves, know how proud all of us are of you, and keep living out the value of community as you go forward,” Luther said.

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The list of community and school sport leaders planned for recognition during an upcoming awards ceremony includes two people with ties to McNary High School.

The annual Salem-Keizer Beacon Awards event, organized by the Salem-Keizer High School Sports Booster Club, honors those who have shown “excellence and leadership” in high school athletics and serves as a fundraiser for the club. Former athletes, coaches, administrators and sports program supporters are among the 10 awarded this year, according to a press release.

Two longtime McNary employees, now retired, are included on the list: Craig Nicholas, former coach and teacher, and Mike Maghan, former assistant principal and athletic director. 

Nicholas will be honored as a School Beacon – one of the six chosen from each Salem-Keizer School District high school – and Maghan is one of four Community Beacons.

The event will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, held in Salem’s Elsinore Theatre. Tickets cost $30, and can be purchased at the door or online.

“These 10 special people have been role models for all of us, shining a light, like a beacon, on the importance and significance of high school athletics,” according to Scott Whipple, Beacons president. School Athletes of the Year will also be honored during the event, picked from a list of nominees. 

Nominees from McNary include: Fernando Zepeda (soccer), Madi McLain (soccer), Yosef Picazo (cross country), Luis Martinez Hernandez (wrestling), Marlina Martinez (wrestling), Landon Perry (swim), Evy Hales (swim), Cole Ricketts (basketball), Autumn Siegel (softball), Violet Siegel (softball) and Mason Bowlby (track).

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With the nation’s 250-year anniversary coming up, Keizer’s local theater company is presenting a play about a noted figure in American history.

Keizer Homegrown Theatre will stage “JQA” in June. The play by Aaron Posner follows the life of John Quincy Adams, the sixth U.S. president.

The play opens June 12 and runs for three weekends at the theater in the Keizer Cultural Center, 980 Chemawa Road N.E. 

Adams, son of the second U.S. president John Adams, became president in 1825. In his earlier tenure as secretary of state, he crafted policies that led some historians to consider him the architect of American foreign diplomacy, but his goals as president were stymied by an unreceptive Congress. 

A press release describes him as “a brilliant diplomat, ineffectual one-term president, and congressman known for his eloquence, arrogance and integrity.” 

Director Jay Gipson-King, a North Salem High School teacher outside of his theater work, said the play is timely due to the nation’s focus on the 250th anniversary this year. While it follows a historical figure, he said the story offers political commentary relevant today. 

He said he hopes the audience will leave the theater “thinking about their duty as citizens in this country.”

Each of the play’s six actors will play the titular character once, Gipson-King said. The play is a series of two-person scenes, and the actors will rotate through different characters. 

Throughout the story, Adams interacts with other historical figures, including George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Andrew Jackson and his father. 

The play opens June 12 with performances at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays for three weekends. There also will be 2 p.m. matinees on Sundays, June 14, June 21 and June 28.

General admission tickets cost $15 dollars, or free with an Oregon Trail card. Tickets can be purchased on the theater website. 

The cast includes Emily Adela Loberg, Jessica Peterson, J.T. Reid Thya Robinson, Rick Sanders and Danna Swanenberg. 

A McNary High School graduate, Megan Rosevear, is stage manager, and the costumes are made by Jeri Gamaney. 

NEWS TIP? Contact reporter Krista Kroiss at krista@keizertimes.com.

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