Investigators said the weapon recovered later appeared to be a pellet gun.
SALEM, Ore. — Police arrested a 45-year-old Salem man Friday after investigators said he robbed and assaulted a woman in a Costco parking lot and fled in a white Toyota Corolla. Officers found the victim bleeding at the scene and later took the suspect into custody after a brief pursuit and search.
The case drew help from several agencies and highlighted how fast a violent street crime can unfold in a crowded shopping area. Police said the woman suffered significant head and face injuries and was taken to Salem Hospital. The suspect, identified as Jorge Reyes-Suarez, was booked into the Marion County Jail as Oregon State Police prepared an additional charge related to the chase.
Salem Police said the robbery was reported about 12:06 p.m. Friday in the parking lot of Costco in the 4800 block of 27th Avenue SE. Officers who arrived found a woman on the ground and bleeding, with what police described as an obvious head injury. Investigators said she told officers she had just placed her purchases into her vehicle and returned her cart when an unknown man approached with a handgun, attacked her and took her fanny pack. During the struggle, police said, the suspect struck her in the head with the gun. Salem Fire medics took her to Salem Hospital for treatment of what police called significant injuries to her head and face.
Police said people nearby tried to step in, but the suspect escaped in a white Toyota Corolla. Dispatchers broadcast the description, and Oregon State Police soon located the car, authorities said. After a brief pursuit, officers found the vehicle unoccupied in the 2600 block of Portland Road NE, police said. Teams from Salem Police, Keizer Police, Oregon State Police and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office set a perimeter and started a canine track in the area. During that track, police said, the dog located what appeared to be a handgun. Investigators later determined it was a realistic-looking pellet gun, police said.
The robbery occurred in broad daylight at a busy retail center, and the report of a gun prompted a rapid response. Police did not release the victim’s name, and investigators have not said whether she knew the suspect. Authorities also did not say whether the fanny pack or other property was recovered. Police have not described any surveillance video publicly, and they have not said whether other witnesses were formally interviewed at the scene. Officials have not released details about how long the pursuit lasted or the speeds involved, describing it only as brief.
A Salem police officer later spotted a man walking from the direction of the abandoned car who matched the description provided, police said. The officer arrested him without incident and took him to the police station, according to the department. Police identified the suspect as Jorge Reyes-Suarez, 45, of Salem. He was lodged at the Marion County Jail on multiple charges, including first-degree robbery and first-degree assault, police said. Oregon State Police said it will file a felony attempt to elude charge tied to the pursuit, according to the Salem Police account of the case.
The charges described by police suggest prosecutors may argue the case involved serious injury and the use or display of a weapon during a theft. Oregon law treats first-degree robbery as a more serious form of robbery that can involve a deadly weapon or causing or attempting to cause serious physical injury. First-degree assault typically involves severe injuries or the use of a dangerous weapon. Police have not said whether Reyes-Suarez has an attorney or whether he has entered pleas. Court records and a first appearance date were not included in the police statement, and authorities did not publicly outline a timeline for formal charging decisions by the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.
At the scene, investigators said bystanders tried to intervene as the suspect fled. Police did not identify those people, but the department credited partner agencies for helping locate the vehicle and coordinate the search after it was found empty. Salem Police said the work included officers on the ground setting a perimeter and a dog team tracking through the area. In a written statement, the department thanked Salem Police, Keizer Police, Oregon State Police and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for assistance. The department did not say whether any officers were injured during the pursuit or the search.
As of Monday, Reyes-Suarez remained jailed in Marion County as the case moved from arrest to the early court process, and Oregon State Police were still expected to file the felony attempt to elude charge connected to the chase.
Author note: Last updated February 9, 2026.