Salem, OR. — A 58-year-old Salem man was sentenced Thursday to more than five years in prison after stabbing a landscaper during a dispute at a southeast Salem business complex.
On February 26, 2026, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Amy Queen sentenced Jonathon L. Jones to 70 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections for Assault in the Second Degree.
The incident occurred January 7, 2026, at a business complex located at 4500 Commercial Street Southeast. Salem Police responded to reports of a stabbing and found the victim, Victor Hernandez-Lopez, suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was transported to Salem Hospital for treatment.
A witness at the scene identified Jones as the assailant. According to investigators, Jones had been living in a tent within the business complex near where the assault occurred. Hernandez-Lopez, a landscaper working in the area, was using a leaf-blower at the time.
Jones told authorities he believed the noise and activity from the landscaping work were blowing his belongings around, which angered him. He then stabbed Hernandez-Lopez. The knife used in the assault was later located among Jones’ belongings.
Assault in the Second Degree under these circumstances qualifies as a Ballot Measure 11 offense, which carries a mandatory prison sentence. The sentence includes no eligibility for early release or alternative programming.
District Attorney Paige Clarkson said the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime and reinforces public safety in Marion County. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Meghan Kamps.
The Marion County District Attorney’s Office credited Salem Police detectives and officers for their response and investigation.
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Simply another example of governments inability to protect its citizens. Anyone with the history that this person has acquired has no business walking the streets.