Dog-knapper arrested

Cody W. Rohrich, 26, Colfax, was booked into jail here early Tuesday morning, Oct. 16, on probable charges of burglary, possession of stolen property and possession of methamphetamine.

Rohrich, who had been sentenced to a week in jail on a drug possession charge Oct. 5, was alleged to be in possession of two dogs which had turned up missing from the Colfax dog pound Sept. 15.

According to an arrest report by Colfax Officer Cory Alcantar, he went to the scene of an arrest early Oct. 16 by Deputy Tyler Langerfeld in Colfax and observed Deeno, a pit bull believed to be owned by Rohrich, in the vehicle. Alcantar said another pit bull owned by Rohrich, Viper, later peeked out from under a blanket inside the vehicle.

The two pit bulls had been cut out of cages where they had been confined Sept. 15 by the city in the pound which is located at the sewer plant on the Walla Walla Highway. Deeno and Viper had been confiscated by city police to hold for a dangerous dog hearing.

Officer Alcantar said he had been attacked by one of the dogs, and after Rohrich had been cautioned, one the dogs got loose and bit a Colfax resident.

A separate arrest report by Officer Perry Tate said after Rohrich had been jailed he began to complain about discomfort and admitted he had stuck a baggie containing six to eight grams of methamphetamine up his rectum. He admitted he had been unsuccessful in an attempt to remove the packet while he was being processed for entry into the jail. He allegedly told Tate he believed he had damaged the packet and feared he would suffer a drug overdose.

The report said Rohrich began showing signs of drug ingestion and was taken to Whitman Hospital where the packet was recovered. It was turned over to the police department as evidence.

Bond for pre-trial release was set at $25,000 in a first appearance later Oct. 17.

The Oct. 5 conviction related to a charge of possession of methamphetamine which was confiscated during an arrest July 27, when Rohrich was a passenger in a car driven by another drug suspect at McDonald’s in Pullman.

Friday, Deputy Prosecutor Merritt Decker informed Judge Gary Libey the county does not intend to file felony charges in superior court against Rohrich.

Decker said he anticipates any charges in the case will be filed in Colfax Municipal Court.