Alleged thief poses medical quandary for the jail
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HERMISTON – Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan says the arrest of two alleged property crime thieves operating in Morrow County, western Umatilla County, and into Washington will cause a significant drop in the crime rate in that region, but it causes the Umatilla County Jail another problem. Kelly Chapman, 39, and Rebecca Mayes, 29, are now both incarcerated.
“With these two in custody, many of our theft issues will be mitigated, but with Rebecca comes a whole different set of baggage,” Rowan said. “She’s eight months pregnant and a significant drug abuser.”
Rowan said he is consulting with the Department of Human Services, because babies of addicts are usually born addicted.
“You could put undue stress on the innocent one in that equation, so we need to do whatever we can to make sure that we protect that life,” he said.
