SALEM, Ore. — A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to four years in state prison after a Marion County jury found him guilty in connection with two separate incidents involving a weapon and property damage, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
Juan Carlos Elias-Perez was sentenced by Judge Manuel Perez in Marion County Circuit Court to 48 months in the Oregon Department of Corrections after being convicted of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree.
The most serious conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on Dec. 14, 2025, at an apartment complex on Sunnyview Road NE in Salem.
According to prosecutors, Salem police officers and Marion County sheriff’s deputies responded to the residence at approximately 4:08 a.m. after a woman, identified in court documents as H.W., called 911. She reported being awakened by loud banging on her windows and front door.
When she opened the door, she found Elias-Perez standing outside holding a knife and demanding that she come toward him, authorities said. Prosecutors stated that Elias-Perez then began approaching the woman while wielding the weapon.
Fearing for her safety and the safety of her three children and grandchildren, ages 4, 9 and 10, who were asleep inside the home, H.W. quickly shut and locked the door before contacting emergency dispatchers.
Law enforcement officers located Elias-Perez several hundred yards away from the apartment and arrested him shortly afterward. Authorities said he was a stranger to the victim and listed a residence in Issaquah, Washington.
“This incident is a parent or guardian’s nightmare,” said Marion County District Attorney-elect Brendan Murphy. “No one should have to open their door to this — especially within their own home with children present. The victim was offering help but instead experienced being threatened with a knife.”
Murphy also praised Deputy District Attorney Braden Wolf’s sentencing recommendation, noting that the impact on victims is a key consideration during prosecution.
In a separate case, Elias-Perez was also convicted for his role in a November 2024 incident at an apartment complex on Market Street.
Prosecutors said Elias-Perez entered a secured laundry room and disturbed personal belongings before being confronted by the property’s security manager. After a physical struggle and being removed from the room, Elias-Perez allegedly began throwing rocks at the manager, striking him in the arm with one of them.
Authorities said Elias-Perez continued throwing rocks after the manager retreated into the laundry room, damaging the building and breaking a window. A jury later found him guilty of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree for the incident.
Deputy District Attorney Braden Wolf prosecuted the cases on behalf of the state.
The Marion County District Attorney’s Office thanked the Salem Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation and response, which officials said contributed to the successful prosecution of the cases.
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