PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Police took one man into custody after they said he barricaded himself inside a Salem home for more than 5 hours on Saturday, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
While the sheriff’s office warned residents to stay away from the area of Agate Drive SE via Twitter around 10 a.m. this morning, authorities were first called out to the unincorporated part of Salem around 3 a.m. to investigate a report of gunfire.
After interviewing nearby residents, deputies learned that a man had fired a gun outside the home before going inside. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect had been looking for someone at the home and held a man at gunpoint while he took his wallet.
Authorities identified the suspect as 39-year-old Jeffrey Garza. He was reported to be still inside the home Saturday morning and deputies believed there were other people inside as well.
The Sheriff’s SWAT team was called out to the neighborhood to assist as a standoff ensued for several hours. Over the course of the standoff, people safely came out of the home. Negotiators then tried to get Garza to surrender peacefully. When those attempts failed, a police K-9 was sent in and found him hiding in a crawlspace beneath the home, said MCSO.
Just before 3 p.m. the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Tweeted photos of their SWAT van along with a photo of the suspect in handcuffs.
Garza was first taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and was then lodged in the Marion County Jail where he was charged with robbery, theft, and the unlawful use of a weapon.
The sheriff’s office said that no one else was injured from this incident.
