News Release from: Clackamas Co. Sheriff's Office

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office arrests suspect, 22, in disturbing phone-harassment case

Photo: Caleb Matthew Holzwarth

Posted: March 22, 2008, 8:03 a.m.

On Friday, March 21, 2008, a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant overheard a Clackamas County Sheriff's Desk Officer (CSO) discussing a telephonic harassment complaint in the office.

This led to the arrest of a suspect identified as Caleb Matthew Holzwarth (born November 1985), who resides on Coupland Road in Estacada.

As early as March 10, Clackamas County Sheriff's authorities began receiving criminal complaints from female victims who were reporting that an unidentified male subject was making alarming, vulgar and harassing telephone calls -- primarily targeting female victims in the Estacada area of Clackamas County.

On March 21, 2008, Lt. Chuck Slaney overheard a conversation with a Clackamas County Sheriff's Desk Officer addressing one of these telephone-harassment complaints. Lt. Slaney was aware of the recent arrest of a male subject for the same type of crime in Portland -- and recognized the potential link to the reports of telephone harassment in the Estacada area.

His intuition led to an investigation. And now a 22-year old male suspect, Caleb Matthew Holzwarth, has been arrested. He is believed responsible for numerous harassing phone calls initiated in Clackamas County.

Holzwarth was arrested on March 20 by the Portland Police Bureau for a reported telephonic-harassment complaint. Lt. Slaney subsequently linked the Estacada-area cases of telephonic harassment to Holzwarth.

According to at least two of the Clackamas County female victims, a male subject repeatedly called, making lewd comments of a sexual nature -- including threatening the act of rape and impregnation of the victim or a relative.

The female victims were, understandably, very disturbed by these harassing calls.

Two reported female victims in Clackamas County have indicated they would be willing to talk to interested media outlets. Please contact the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer for additional follow-up information.

On March 21, 2008 at 7:30 p.m., Caleb Matthew Holzwarth was arrested at his place of residence in Estacada without incident, transported to the Clackamas County Jail, and lodged on charges of 31 counts of Telephonic Harassment.

These misdemeanor crimes are considered cite-and-release offenses. Holzwarth has no prior established criminal history, and spent the night in jail. It is expected he will be provided an appearance date for court when issued a citation and released later today (Saturday, March 22).

Sheriff's Office investigators are concerned that additional, unidentified victims of this type of telephone harassment may exist who have not yet come forward to report this crime. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office encourages any additional potential victims to please report the crime to authorities.

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Contact Info: Jim Strovink, Detective