Lebam - On August 18, the Pacific County Sheriff's Office received a call of an extensive vandalism of a dump truck located in a heavily wooded area off of the Trap Creek Main Line. The reporting party advised that the truck was demolished. Deputies responded to the scene to investigate. Upon arrival deputies learned that two other pieces of heavy equipment were also on site. Evidence at the scene made it very apparent that the two pieces of machinery were utilized to cause the damage. Several trees in the general vicinity were also damaged. The truck, a 1988 Western Star belonging to Greg Queener of Rosburg WA., was a total loss estimated between thirty and fifty thousand dollars.
On August 19th, the Sheriff's Office received information regarding the possible identities of two suspects that may have been involved in the vandalism. The mother of one of the suspects called to advise that she believed that her son may have been involved in the vandalism. Deputies contacted the reporting party and her son. The son, identified as Tanner J. Buchanan, age 21, admitted that he and another friend caused the damage to the dump truck with an excavator and a bulldozer. Buchanan stated that they had both been drinking alcohol and that they were causing damage for the fun of it.
Pacific County Sheriff's deputies also located the second suspect, identified as Derrick T. Justice, age 20, of Pe Ell, WA. Justice admitted to operating the bulldozer but denied that he damaged the truck in any way. Both Buchanan and Justice were arrested and transported to the Pacific County Jail and booked on charges of Malicious Mischief in the First degree and Trespassing in the Second degree.