Grants Pass, Ore. – Yesterday proved to be an extremely busy day for the Grants Pass Police Department. In addition to the Bank Robbery at First Interstate Bank on Union Ave, there was also a robbery at knifepoint near the downtown Post Office, and an Arsonist was arrested near Baker Park. Luckily no one was seriously injured during any of the crimes.

As previously reported, at approximately 11:00 am, the First Interstate Bank on Union Avenue in Grants Pass was robbed. After demanding money, the male suspect fled from the bank on foot to the parking lot of the nearby Walgreens where a vehicle was waiting for him. The suspect left in an unknown direction. Nobody was physically injured during the robbery, but many were in fear for their safety.

No weapons were displayed by the male suspect who was described as an approximate 6’4” tall white male in his 30s to 40s, weighing 220 to 240 pounds and having some facial hair. The male wore a black beanie cap, black glasses, and a bright orange shirt over a dark long-sleeved shirt. The vehicle the robber fled in was described as a white Kia Optima with tinted windows.

At approximately 1:57 PM, officers were dispatched to the area just outside the United States Post Office on NW 6^th Street regarding a male subject robbing a woman of her purse at knifepoint. The male fled the scene in a vehicle prior to officers arriving. The suspect was described as a Hispanic male in his 20s wearing a puffy jacket with a hood pulled over his head. The suspect fled in a silver or gold-colored sedan on SW G Street. The female victim was not seriously injured.

At approximately 3:03 PM, police dispatch was notified of an occupied building full of smoke on East Park Street. Police examined the scene and located a basement on the exterior of the building which appeared to have been broken into, and was the apparent source of the fire. Police located a male determined to have started a fire beneath the residence within the unlawfully entered basement. Grants Pass Fire and Rescue responded, put the fire out, and preserved the building from any further damage. The suspect was identified as Rosendo Shane Garcia. Garcia is believed to have intentionally set debris on fire beneath the building causing smoke damage. Garcia was charged with Arson in the First Degree in addition to other charges. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire and smoke damage. 

If anyone has information related to any of these three crimes, the Grants Pass Police Department is asking that you call with the information at 541-450-6260, or message us through our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/grantspasspolice/.

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