Salem man pleads guilty in Woodburn shooting, sentenced to 7 years in prison

Whitney Woodworth
Statesman Journal

A Salem man arrested in November after two people were shot at the same location in Woodburn 10-days apart was sentenced to seven years and six months Tuesday. 

Shortly after the second shooting, which occurred on Thanksgiving Day, police identified Norberto Josue Martinez, 24, as one of two suspects. 

Martinez was suspected of shooting a 19-year-old man on the 1300 block of West Hayes Street, a residential area less than a quarter-mile away from Nellie Muir Elementary School, on Nov. 12. The man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Martinez, Noberto Josue

Ten days after the first shooting, officers responded again to reports of shots fired at the same location on the 1300 block of West Hayes Street.

A 35-year-old woman had been shot and taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Previous coverage:Woodburn shooting suspect arrested, 1 suspect still at large

Investigators learned the victim also had some of her personal belongings stolen by the suspect.

Woodburn detectives identified as Rodolfo Silva-Cortez Jr., 28, of Woodburn, as a suspect. 

Medford police officers located Martinez on Nov. 27 and took him into custody. 

Martinez was previously convicted of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon in 2015 and methamphetamine possession in 2012. Following his arrest on kidnapping, robbery and witness tampering charges in 2013, he was convicted of second-degree robbery and sentenced to probation. He was given more than three years in prison for violating his probation twice.

Less than two weeks after Martinez was taken into custody, the Woodburn Police Department responded to a report of a male threatening another person with a firearm at a home on the 700 block of Harrison Street.

Officers received information that Silva-Cortez had threatened and pointed a firearm at a 41-year-old woman. The female victim left the location and called police.

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Rodolfo Silva-Cortez, Jr.

Officers were able to make phone contact with some of the location residents and learned that Silva-Cortez may have fallen asleep inside the residence. 

Several occupants were able to leave the home, and the Marion County SWAT team located and arrested Silva-Cortez inside the residence. He suffered minor injuries during his arrest when he was apprehended by a Marion County K-9 dog.

He was armed with a loaded .38 caliber revolver during his arrest. 

Silva-Cortez is currently facing charges of attempted aggravated murder with a firearm, first-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault, resisting arrest, menacing, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. 

He is scheduled to stand trial on Aug. 12. 

Re:Salem man who killed friend acquitted of murder, but gets 10 years for manslaughter

While awaiting trial, Martinez posted $10,000 security and was released from jail. Less than two months later, he was arrested in Medford for driving with a suspended license. According to court records, police found a loaded Kimber pistol in the center console of his car and a stolen laptop on the passenger side. 

Four days before he was scheduled to stand trial, Martinez pleaded guilty to first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon. 

He was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison. 

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

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