Baker City woman jailed on domestic violence assault, strangulation charges

Baker City police jailed Alicia Beth Shorts, 42, of Baker City, after a late-night arrest in the 2700 block of 11th Street. Officers booked her at 11:17 p.m. on May 26 on charges of fourth-degree assault, classified as domestic violence, and strangulation, also classified as domestic violence.

That charge mix carries more weight than a routine misdemeanor entry. Strangulation is widely treated as a serious indicator in domestic abuse cases because it can point to escalating danger inside a relationship or household. In this case, the log showed an immediate custodial response, not a citation-and-release outcome.

Oregon’s domestic-violence fact sheet defines domestic violence and intimate partner violence as a pattern of behavior used to gain or maintain power and control. The state says Oregon logged more than 50,000 domestic-violence-related crimes from 2020 through 2024, and from 2013 to 2022, 386 Oregonians died in domestic-violence-related homicides. Of those deaths, 52% involved a firearm and 83% happened in a house or apartment.

For Baker County, where the July 1, 2025 population estimate was 16,658, cases like this can land close to home. In a small county, a single police log entry can reflect a larger public-safety problem that affects neighbors, families, and the criminal justice system all at once. The Baker County Sheriff’s Office says its operations include law enforcement, dispatch, jail, civil papers, court orders, search and rescue, and emergency response.

Residents facing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking, or elder abuse can reach MayDay Inc. in Baker City through its 24-hour crisis line at 541-523-4134. The group also offers advocacy, counseling, safety planning, and emergency shelter.

The Shorts arrest also came just four days after another Baker City public-safety log entry that listed Alan William Wolfe, 38, on domestic-violence and strangulation charges. Taken together, the recent bookings show a recurring pattern that is drawing law-enforcement attention in Baker City rather than an isolated street-level disturbance.