On Wednesday, April 17th, 2024, at around 6:50 AM, multiple Lincoln City Police Officers responded to the report of a single vehicle crash into a building located at 3026 NE Highway 101, later learning another vehicle had also been struck. Officers arrived and assisted North Lincoln Fire Department with securing the scene and initial medical evaluation of involved drivers.
Officers investigated and learned that Marvin Noe Tojin Lopez, a 24-year-old male from Newport Oregon, had fallen asleep at the wheel, while driving home from working on a residential remodeling job all night. Tojin Lopez had been driving his Honda Accord southbound and initially struck a northbound Honda Pilot with such force, the Accord’s front driver’s side wheel was entirely removed from the vehicle. Following the initial impact, the Accord skid into the building. Tojin Lopez was transported to the hospital for further medical care. The driver of the Pilot reported no injuries on scene. Subsequently Tojin Lopez was issued citations for Driving without a License, Driving without Insurance, Careless Driving, and Failing to Wear a Seatbelt.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Drowsy Driving led to 684 deaths in 2021 and in 2017 accounted for 91,000 of our nation’s vehicle crashes. If you feel fatigued, your driving skills are probable impaired as well. Please pull over, take a short 20-minute nap, and reevalute.
The Lincoln City Police Department would like to thank the North Lincoln Fire Department, Pacific West Ambulance, Menefee and Car Care Towing for their quick responses, allowing officers to get the roadway reopened.
Submitted by: Sgt Erik Anderson
On Monday, April 8, 2024, at approximately 3:30 AM Lincoln City Police Officers responded to the 1300 block of N Highway 101 on the report of gunshots. Officers learned that an intoxicated male had exited a bar in that area, walked to a nearby vehicle, retrieved a handgun, and then fired several shots into the air before leaving in a different vehicle.
Thanks to eyewitness statements and video surveillance, Officers were able to identify the male as 38-year-old Hugo Melo Garcia of Woodburn, Oregon. Officers attempted to locate Melo Garcia but were unable to do so.
On April 8, 2024 at approximately 9:00 PM LCPD Officers located a male matching Melo Garcia’s description returning to the initial vehicle, but he was determined not to be Melo Garcia nor directly involved in the incident.
On April 9, 2024 at approximately 6:00 PM Melo Garcia came to the Lincoln City Police Department to turn himself in. He was taken into custody on charges of Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and transport to the Lincoln County Jail.
The Lincoln City Police Department would like to thank the local businesses in the area for their assistance with this case.
On Tuesday April 9, 2024, Lincoln City Police arrested 61-year-old, Gregory Valdivieso of Toledo, Oregon after he brandished a gun during a road rage incident.
At about 2:46 PM, Lincoln City Police Officers responded to a report of a driver who brandished a handgun at another driver while they were traveling through Lincoln City. The victims reported that the suspect initially pointed his fingers at them in the shape of gun as he passed them outside the south end of town. Once in the city, the victims began passing the suspect driver and as they did he brandished a handgun so they could see it. The victims advised they had recorded this on their cell phone.
Lincoln City Police Officers located the suspect vehicle at the south Circle K Store parking lot. The driver was contacted and identified as Gregory Valdivieso. Mr. Valdivieso initially denied having or brandishing a gun during the incident, but after being confronted that there was video evidence of the incident, admitted there was a gun in his vehicle.
An LCPD Officer applied for and was granted a search warrant to search Mr. Valdivieso’s vehicle. During the search the officers located a handgun that matched the description of the one brandished by Mr. Valdivieso during the incident.
Mr. Valdivieso was arrested on charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Menacing. He was subsequently transported to the Lincoln County Jail where he was lodged on the listed charges.
With traffic congestion increasing as the summer months arrive, the Lincoln City Police Department would like to encourage all drivers to keep safety for themselves and others at the forefront of their mind while driving.
Submitted by: Lieutenant Jeffrey Winn
On Sunday, April 7, 2024 at around 2:00 AM, Lincoln City Police Officers responded to the report of a physical fight between two females at Chinook Winds Casino. As the officers responded, they were informed by casino security the females had left the scene in a red pickup truck. Moments later, officers were informed of a red pickup truck that had crashed into Lock & Key Adventurer’s Guild at 3026 NE Highway 101. The pickup truck then fled the scene eastbound on NE Holmes Rd.
Upon Officers arrival they found the front window of the business broken out as well as significant damage to the walls of the business. Other officers searched the area and located the involved pickup truck with damage to the front end near NE 31st St. and NE Holmes Rd. The registered owner of the vehicle, 27-year-old Shailin Moses, was contacted at an apartment nearby.
Moses and her passenger, 24-year-old Mary Sanders, were both intoxicated. Moses and Sanders told officers they had been drinking at the Chinook Winds Casino for several hours before returning home. Officers developed probable cause to believe Moses had been driving intoxicated and placed her under arrest.
During the investigation officers learned that Moses and Sanders had left their 6-year-old and 2-year-old children in a different apartment, unaccompanied by any adults. Furthermore, officers learned that the children had been left in the apartment for several hours while Moses and Sanders had been at the casino. Officers found the children alone and crying in the apartment, and once the safety of the children was assured, Officers arrested Moses and Sanders for Child Neglect in the Second Degree.
Moses was arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Reckless Driving, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver when Property is Damaged, and Child Neglect in the Second Degree. Sanders was arrested for Child Neglect in the Second Degree. Both were transported to the Lincoln County Jail where they were lodged on the listed charges.
The Lincoln City Police Department would like to thank the Chinook Winds Casino for their cooperation, as well as the observant citizen who reported the hit-and-run.
Submitted by: Sgt Torin Liden
On the afternoon of Sunday, March 31, 2024, the Lincoln City Police Department received a call from employees of the Sunglass Hut at the Lincoln City Outlets regarding a theft. The employees reported that two Hispanic females and a Hispanic male had stolen several sets of sunglasses then fled the store.
Multiple Lincoln City Police Officers responded and began investigating. The employees were able to direct officers to the vehicle involved, a white pickup truck, as well as providing video of the suspects. Inside the truck officers could see multiple un-bagged items of merchandise from various stores at the Lincoln City Outlets.
Officers located the involved male, 34-year-old Guillermo LOPEZ-VILLALOBOS of Salem, Oregon, and an associated female juvenile sitting nearby. Lincoln City Police Department Officers and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, who had arrived to assist LCPD, canvassed the area but were unable to locate the other female involved; however, LCPD Officers located a stash of stolen clothing items on the property that appeared to be associated with this theft.
LOPEZ-VILLALOBOS was arrested and transported to the Lincoln County Jail on charges of Organized Retail Theft, Theft in the First Degree, and Criminal Conspiracy. The associated female juvenile was taken into custody and later released to an adult relative. The juvenile female will be referred to the Lincoln County Juvenile Department for her participation in this crime. The adult female involved in this case was not located and has not been identified.
LCPD officers obtained a seizure warrant for the pickup truck and it was towed to the Lincoln City Police Department. In the following days, LCPD Officers obtained a search warrant for the pickup truck and searched it, recovering stolen merchandise from several different stores in the mall. The estimated value of the recovered stolen merchandise is over $4,000.
The Lincoln City Police Department extends its gratitude to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this incident.
Additionally, and most importantly, we at the Lincoln City Police Department depend on the eyes and ears of the public to report suspicious activity. Property crimes affect the law-abiding public through increased costs for consumers. We rely on our partnership with our citizens to deter crime in our community, and appreciate their trust and support.
The investigation into this incident is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this crime, or the female involved, is encouraged to contact Officer Zach Rigg at 541-994-3636.
Submitted By: Sergeant Torin Liden / Lieutenant Jeffrey Winn
On Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at approximately 2:30 PM Lincoln City Police K-9 Officer Nix and her handler, Officer Snidow, responded to the area of Mile Marker 17 on Highway 20 to help locate a missing driver. The driver, an 81-year-old male, had driven off the embankment of Highway 20 in the area the night prior. The crash was not discovered until approximately 2:00 PM by a passer-by.
Discovered inside the vehicle was an elderly female passenger who had suffered a head injury. She was subsequently transported by medical personnel to Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport.
When Officer Snidow and K-9 Nix arrived, they began searching the area. K-9 Nix quickly located the driver, who walked away after the crash, approximately 100 yards from his car stuck in an area of dense blackberries. The driver apparently had a medical episode, and was transported to the Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport.
This incident highlights the importance of the Police K-9 program available in Lincoln City. As there were no other K-9 units available in the county, Lincoln City Police Officer Snidow and K-9 Nix were instrumental in locating the driver and ensuring he received medical care. The Lincoln City Police Department is grateful for the community support that allows us to run this beneficial program.
Submitted By:
Sergeant Torin Liden / Lieutenant Jeffrey Winn