On September 5th a little after 1:00 pm, SAR was notified of a subject who fell and became injured on a lava rock butte near Melakwa Lake, north of Highway 242. Lane County Sheriff Search & Rescue (SAR) volunteers with Eugene Mountain Rescue responded along with Linn County Sheriff Search & Rescue.

SAR located the individual and provided medical assistance until air resources arrived. The US Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter and transported the patient to a local area hospital for treatment. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Linn County Sheriff Search & Rescue as well as US Coast Guard for their help in this instance. LCSO is proud of all the volunteers whose dedication make these types of saves possible.

Nearly every week, Lane County Sheriff's Search & Rescue staff and volunteers assist our residents and visitors in all types of environments. To learn more about our Search & Rescue program or to donate to their work visit our website at: 

www.lanecountyor.gov/government/county_departments/sheriff_s_office/l_c_s_o_search_and_rescue

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to recreate safely, so please remember: 

Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. 

Know conditions before you leave - rain in the valley can mean ice up high! 

Be prepared to stay out overnight - even if you don't plan to get out of your car. 

Bring maps for offline navigation - cell service can be spotty! 

If you go on the water, ALWAYS wear a life jacket! 

If you become lost, STAY PUT! Find a way to signal or make your location visible. Always carry a whistle and flashlight in the outdoors – it just might save your life.

On September 8th at about 08:15 am, deputies were notified of a single vehicle crash on Clearlake Road near Greenhill Road. A small four door sedan left the south side of the roadway and impacted signage before coming to a stop.

Fire personal were the first to arrive on scene. They relayed concerns the female driver may have driven impaired. LCSO deputies contacted the driver after she was transported to a medical facility for assessment.

The driver was identified as 58-year-old Martha Anne Schuetz of Junction City. Schuetz was arrested for DUII and issued a citation in lieu of custody.

This case is still active and there is no additional information for release at this time.

9/4/26 - The Lane County Sheriff’s Office Reminds Everyone Child Safety Seats Save Lives!

Lane County Sheriff’s Office continues to use state-funded grant overtime to enforce seatbelt laws, including child safety restraint requirements. Although enforcement helps, the most important step in preventing tragedy is ensuring a child safety seat is properly installed and used every time.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 46% of child car seats are installed incorrectly. The link below provides an excellent visual guide to Oregon’s Child Restraint Laws:  https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Documents/ODOT_Car_Seat_Flyer_2021-English.pdf 

-Statistics-

-Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): Child Safety Seat Requirements-

-Rear Seating-

-Booster Seat Fit Test-

To determine whether a child can safely transition from a booster to a seatbelt, answer YES to all:

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to have a safe Holiday Weekend.  So, please buckle-up and ensure every child is secured safely before your drive.

On July 27th, 2026, at about 4:30pm Mohawk Fire and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) firefighters responded to a brush fire on BLM Nolan Ridge Road, outside Mabel Oregon. Lane County Deputies were notified of the burn by fire personnel, as it appeared to be intentionally set.

During the month-long investigation, Ronald Elbert McDaniel was identified as the suspect. On August 29th at around 12:00pm Lane County Deputies located McDaniel in the Marcola area.  McDaniel was arrested and lodged at the Lane County Jail for the crime of Reckless Burning.  McDaniel was also lodged for warrants he had out for his arrest. 

This case remains active and there is no further information for release at this time.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office does not have a dedicated traffic team or deputy assigned to DUI enforcement due to lack of funding. However, our deputies are committed to the safety of our community, and that includes our roadways. Through September 7th, LCSO deputies will be working extra shifts as available on state funded grant overtime to help keep intoxicated drivers off our roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 11,904 total deaths in 2024 from alcohol-impaired traffic crashes. That is about 32 people every day, or one death approximately every 44 minutes. Over 800,000 Americans were arrested for DUI in 2024, making up roughly 11% of arrests for that year. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office cares about our community's safety.  Do not become part of the statistics. Remember:

Plan your safe ride home ahead of time 

If you drink or use drugs, do not drive for any reason 

If you know someone has been drinking or using drugs, don't let them drive 

If you host a party with alcohol, make sure all guests leave with a sober driver 

And please, always wear your seatbelt! 

Please drive safe and help everyone start off the school year safely! 

On August 26th a little after 11:00am Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue (SAR) learned of a person stuck on Mt. Yoran. The individual was alone but uninjured. The person advised they became trapped on a ledge while descending and provided GPS coordinates of their location. 

Lane County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue volunteers with Eugene Mountain Rescue responded to assist. Just before 10:00pm SAR volunteers confirmed the individual was off the mountain and safely back at their vehicle. 

Unfortunately, these types of situations occur frequently. Rescues and recoveries are only possible because of the many volunteers the Sheriff’s Office employs. These volunteers train rigorously for all circumstances and often must respond at a moment's notice. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office is so thankful for all the men and women who donate their time to make Lane County a safer place.

To learn more about our Search & Rescue program or to donate to their work visit our website at: www.lanecountyor.gov/government/county_departments/sheriff_s_office/l_c_s_o_s_o_search_and_rescue

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to recreate safely, so please remember: 

Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return. 

Know conditions before you leave - rain in the valley can mean ice up high! 

Be prepared to stay out overnight - even if you don't plan to get out of your car. 

Bring maps for offline navigation - cell service can be spotty!

If you go on the water, ALWAYS wear a life jacket!

If you become lost, STAY PUT! Find a way to signal or make your location visible. Always carry a whistle and flashlight in the outdoors – it just might save your life. 

Our community continues to be targeted by phone scammers identifying themselves as employees of the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, typically claiming to be sergeants. Scammers have in the past also used text and email. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER ask for money by phone, text, or email!

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER call you about missed jury duty!

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER ask you to pay for someone to be released!

If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a deputy, sergeant or staff member, tell them you plan to call LCSO dispatch at 541-682-4150 to verify.  A real deputy will understand, a scammer will not.  

Scammers claim there are warrants, missed jury duty, or unsettled legal issues. They may also offer to take bail money so family members in our jail may be released. Scammers then ask for payment or personal information, often threatening arrest. They usually offer to take payment digitally, through cryptocurrency, phone apps, or at a kiosk.  
 
In some instances, the scammers appear to call from official phone numbers or provide fraudulent callback numbers with official-sounding voicemail inboxes. They often already have some personal information based on the phone number they called. 
 
If you are contacted by someone claiming to be a Lane County Sheriff's Office employee and you think you are being scammed, HANG UP.

Then contact our dispatch center at 541-682-4150 opt. 1. 
 
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office wants to protect you and your property. Please share with your friends and family. This scam has been around for years, and people are still falling for it despite efforts by all local law enforcement to educate the public.

On August 19, 2026, The Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in a South River Road neighborhood regarding suspicious conditions. Sheriff’s deputies and detectives responded to conduct a welfare check on 44-year-old Yuvonne Allison based on information received from the out of State caller.

Allison was found deceased at the location.  Allison died as a result of multiple stab wounds. Very quickly, 47-year-old Tyler Earl Essex was identified as the suspect in this case.  An arrest warrant for murder was obtained to arrest Essex, with help from the Lane County District Attorney’s Office.

Essex was located in Skagit County Washington.  Local law enforcement in Skagit County Washington worked collaboratively with Sheriff’s detectives to take Essex into custody without incident.

Allison’s family has been notified. This is an ongoing investigation. There is no threat to the public at this time.  All parties associated with this investigation have been accounted for.

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Oregon State Police, the Lane County District Attorney’s Office, the Sedro-Woolley (Washington) Police Department, and the Skagit County (Washington) Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.