Salem, OR. — On February 6, 2026, Jorge Reyes-Suarez, 45, of Salem, was arrested in connection with an armed robbery that occurred earlier in the day in the parking lot of a Costco located in the 4800 block of 27th Avenue SE.
At approximately 12:06 p.m., officers responded to reports of an armed robbery. Upon arrival, they located the victim, a woman, bleeding in the parking lot with an apparent head injury. The victim told officers she had just placed her purchases into her vehicle and returned her shopping cart when an unknown man armed with a handgun assaulted her and stole her fanny pack.
During the attack, the suspect struck the victim in the head with the handgun. She was transported to Salem Hospital by Salem Fire medics for treatment of significant head and facial injuries.
Several community members attempted to intervene, but the suspect fled the scene in a white Toyota Corolla. Dispatch relayed the suspect and vehicle information to surrounding agencies, which led Oregon State Police to locate the vehicle after a brief pursuit. The car was later found unoccupied in the 2600 block of Portland Road NE.
Officers from multiple agencies, including Salem Police Department, Keizer Police, Oregon State Police, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, established a perimeter and conducted a canine track. During the search, the canine located what appeared to be a handgun, later determined to be a realistic-looking pellet gun.
A Salem police officer subsequently spotted a man walking from the direction of the abandoned vehicle who matched the suspect description. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the police station.
Reyes-Suarez was lodged at Marion County Jail on multiple charges, including Robbery in the First Degree and Assault in the First Degree. Oregon State Police will also pursue a charge of Felony Attempt to Elude.
The Salem Police Department thanked its partner agencies for their assistance in the investigation.
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