State police looking for witnesses of two incidents in Marion County

Virginia Barreda
Salem Statesman Journal

Oregon State Police are asking for help from members of the public who may have witnessed two separate incidents early Thursday in Marion County. 

State police are investigating a property dispute at a Walmart parking lot on Turner Road and separately, a shooting involving a grey Ford F-350 four-door pickup on Interstate 5 near Delaney Road. 

The first incident occurred at 12:23 a.m., when a trooper stopped the driver of a white Chevrolet Suburban that was towing a 25-foot trailer for a hazardous safety violation on Interstate 5 near Kuebler Boulevard. 

The driver, Stephanie Jones, 36, was taken into custody for a parole violation warrant. 

Investigators learned there was a property dispute earlier in the evening between Jones and other people at the Walmart parking lot on Turner Road in Salem. The dispute was about Jones' Suburban and a silver Chevrolet Silverado four-door pickup. 

At 1:54 a.m. the same morning, troopers responded to a call from a driver who said a vehicle was chasing them southbound in I-5 near the Delaney Road exit -- and possibly firing a gun. 

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The suspect's vehicle was described as a lifted grey Ford F-350 four-door pickup with a headache rack. The victim was driving a silver Chevrolet Silverado four-door pickup with a silver truck box. 

The suspect stopped chasing the caller near milepost 238 southbound and was found shortly after at the Love’s Travel Stop off exit 238. 

The two occupants of the Ford F-350, Nathan Younger, 28, and Christopher Smith, 36, were detained and later taken to Marion County Jail on an unrelated probation violation, OSP officials said. 

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The two occupants of the Chevrolet Silverado were interviewed by the Albany Police Department. Both occupants and a 2-year-old were unharmed.

Those with information about the dispute at Wal-Mart and/or the shooting investigation on I-5 are asked to contact the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center at 1-800-442-0776 or OSP.

Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.