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78 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, April 29, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend April 14, 2004 Williams man fights chicken-theft charge By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune A Williams man arrested on charges of stealing a beloved community chicken has hired an attorney to defend him in the Josephine County Circuit Court case. On May 3, Nicholas Gombos is scheduled to return to court on misdemeanor charges of third-degree theft and interfering with an officer. Gombos, arraigned on the charges last month, has retained Bend attorney Foster Glass. "They picked the wrong people to do this to," said Gombos’ wife, Kathy Dean. "They’ve done way too much damage to us, and even if they dropped it and said they were sorry — that would not be enough at this point." Gombos was jailed March 24 after several Josephine County sheriff’s deputies arrived at his Powell Creek Road home just after 1 a.m. They were there to retrieve a chicken known to customers of a Murphy grocery store as "Speckles." Gombos, rousted out of bed, refused to give the bird to deputies, asking instead to see some sort of "proof of ownership," Dean said. Advertisement Gombos was arrested and taken to the county jail in Grants Pass, where he was held for six hours. Speckles makes her home at Ray’s Food Place, 7200 Williams Highway. Dozens of shoppers wondered where the chicken went during the five days she was with Gombos, who took Speckles from outside the store mistakenly believing she had been abandoned and needed care. Someone at Ray’s alerted authorities to the apparent chicken theft, but after deputies returned Speckles, the store asked prosecutors to dismiss the charges against Gombos. "I called the District Attorney’s Office to make sure they knew that the store didn’t want to press charges," said store manager Nate McCulley. "We’ve got the chicken back now, so we’re happy and the customers are happy." McCulley explained that while the "question of ownership" could be argued, the supermarket takes care of Speckles as well as Jekyl, a rooster who also stays at the store. Both birds are given food and water, and store workers clean up after them daily. "Eventually, they kind of become yours," McCulley said. Dean said police were wrong in returning Speckles to the store, since she thinks a judge should have determined ownership. Dean said she intends to sue every agency involved in the arrest and prosecution of her husband. Josephine County District Attorney Clay Johnson said prosecutors aren’t looking to lock up Gombos. "He’s not going to jail for this, and nobody will ask for that," he said. "It’s clear (Speckles) is part of the food market. Police did all they could to get the chicken back, and he just said ‘no.’ " Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times