A vehicle waits to turn the corner at Northeast 112th and Northeast Rosewood avenues near Covington Middle School on Oct. 18. Code enforcement has cited the property owner for, among other things, junk piled up along the road, making it difficult for drivers to see and safely turn. (Ariane Kunze/The Columbian)
Two people were arrested Saturday when law enforcement agencies raided an alleged drug house that sits across the street from Covington Middle School in Vancouver, the Vancouver Police Department reported.
Members of the the Safe Streets Task Force, Vancouver Police Neighborhood Response Team and Clark County Tactical Detective Unit, assisted by Southwest Washington Regional SWAT, converged on the house at 6114 N.E. 112th Ave. Saturday morning, according to a police bulletin. They remained on scene most of the day.
Officers served a search warrant alleging that the house being used to distribute methamphetamine. They found several ounces of the drug for distribution and nine firearms, including some that had been reported stolen, the bulletin said.
Homeowner William Gregory Rathgeber, 56, was taken into custody, the bulletin said.
“Rathgeber will be facing at least 13 felony counts to include possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, possession of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of firearm, possession of stolen firearms and maintaining a drug house,” the bulletin said.
Police said Rathgeber had been out on bail awaiting trial on charges of unlawful possession of firearms, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and running a drug house in connection with a search warrant served at the same house in May.
Gabriel Lawson, 43,was also arrested after he ran from police, according to the bulletin. Lawson was wanted on a felony warrant out of Port Angeles and a misdemeanor warrant out of Clark County. Lawson was also found in possession of methamphetamine, the bulletin said.
The house, which sits at the corner of Northeast 112th and Rosewood avenues, has been the subject of complaints for numerous code violations, including having inoperable vehicles in an urban zone, debris in an urban zone, occupied travel trailers, storage containers without permits, building without permits and illegal commercial storage.
The owners come into compliance with some violations, only to fall out of compliance or violate other county codes. As a result, the county has levied more than $350,000 in liens against the property. The case is now in the hands of the county prosecutor’s office.
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