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This week the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Team conducted an enforcement operation in the French Prairie area in northern Marion County.  The focused patrol efforts were done during a four hour window on Monday morning and again for four hours during the afternoon commute on Tuesday.  Deputies focused their efforts on dangerous driving habits which are known to contribute to serious injury and fatal motor vehicle crashes such as speeding, cell phone usage and following too close. 

The Traffic Safety Team made 106 total traffic stops while issuing 146 citations and 15 warnings.  Below are some additional notable statistics from the operation:

20 citations were for speeds between 75-90 miles per hour

93 total citations for speeding

17 citations for no operator’s license or driving while suspended

The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to collaborate with Marion County Public Works, the Oregon Department of Transportation and other community stakeholders to promote traffic safety in the community.  The efforts earlier this week were funded by a grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation.

As the holiday weekend approaches, the Sheriff’s Office would like to remind drivers to slow down and to drive responsibly.

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The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Safety Team will be focusing their efforts in the French Prairie area of Marion County on May 20th and 21st during the morning and evening commutes.  The French Prairie area of Marion County sees a heavy amount of commuter traffic along multiple roadways such as Highway 219, River Road, French Prairie Road, McKay Road, Yergen Road, and Ehlen Road.  These roadways have also been the site of multiple serious injury and fatal motor vehicle crashes.

Dangerous driving behavior including speeding, cell phone use, and following too close have been identified as contributing factors to serious injury and fatal crashes throughout Marion County.  During this operation our goal will be to educate drivers about these dangerous driving habits and to enforce violations which are known to result in crashes.

This is part of an ongoing collaboration with our community partners to reduce motor vehicles crashes throughout Marion County.  This operation is being funded by grants provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

This morning, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was notified about a male approaching a student after school yesterday near Mary Eyre Elementary School in the Four Corners area of Salem.  The stranger is reported to have offered the child a ride and continued to follow them after they said no.  The stranger drove away after the child went inside their home.

The child was not able to provide a description of the suspect other than knowing it was a male.  The involved vehicle is described as a black or dark colored, 2 door car with a red sticker on the hood.  The license plate may contain the letters “T” and “Z”.

The Sheriff’s Office encourages parents to ensure they talk to their children about the dangers of talking to strangers.  There will be additional deputies in the area around Mary Eyre Elementary School this afternoon as students are released.  

Deputies are asking anyone who may have witnessed this encounter or with additional information to contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at (503) 588-5032.

Effective today, Sergeant Jeremy Landers will be taking over as the lead Marion County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer. Sergeant Landers has worked for the Sheriff's Office for 14 years as a Patrol Deputy, K9 Handler, Detective and Patrol Sergeant. Sergeant Landers is currently assigned to the Community Resource Unit, where his team partners with our community to address livability concerns, attends community events and meetings, gives presentations, supports recruitment efforts and provides code enforcement services. In his role as primary PIO, Sergeant Landers will be supported by four back up PIOs: Lt. Warren McDaniel, Lt. Jeff Stutrud, Sgt. Anna Jefferson and Deputy Ethan Griffith to ensure information is made available to the public as soon as possible in critical situations.

We would like to thank Lt. Chris Baldridge for his years of excellent service as our PIO. Chris has done an outstanding job and will continue his work as an Enforcement Division Lieutenant within our Office.

To reach our PIOs you may email MCSOPIO@co.marion.or.us or call 503 584 MCSO (6276).

To reach our PIOs you may email MCSOPIO@co.marion.or.us or call 503 584 MCSO (6276).

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Marion County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the following information pursuant to ORS 163A.215, which authorizes Community Corrections to inform the public when the release of information will enhance public safety and protection.

The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex offense that requires registration with the Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, this person’s criminal history places them in a classification level which reflects the potential to re-offend. This notification is not intended to increase fear; rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public.

NAME: Timothy Wayne Ricketts Jr.

SID#: 16027131

DOB: 5/21/1984

CURRENT AGE: 34

RACE: Caucasian                   SEX: Male

HEIGHT: 5’7”                           WEIGHT: 175 lbs

HAIR: Brown                           EYES: Blue

RESIDENCE: 2252 Hyde St. SE
Salem, OR 97301

Timothy Wayne Ricketts Jr. is on Post Prison Supervision for the crimes of: SEX ABUSE II and BURGLARY I

This person was granted supervision on: 9/5/17

Supervision expiration date is: 12/1/2020

Special restrictions include:
[X] No intimate relationships without prior PO permission
[X] No alcohol
[X] No minors
[X] No places where minors congregate
[X] Sex offender treatment and polygraphs
Other: Mr. Ricketts victim pool includes adult females known to him.

At approximately 11:05 am today, deputies were dispatched to an attempted theft at a local gun store in north Marion County.  Employees at Rich’s Gun Shop in Donald called to report a customer had come into the location and asked to look at an AK-47.  When handed the  unloaded rifle, the customer fled out of the building with the rifle.  

Three employees from the business chased the suspect outside where he allegedly attempted to load a round of ammunition into the rifle.  The employees were able to restrain the suspect while waiting for deputies to arrive.  There were no reported injuries during the robbery.

Thomas Fisher, a 47 year-old Portland man, was taken into custody at the scene by Sheriff’s Deputies.  He has been lodged at the Marion County Jail on the charge of Robbery in the First Degree.

Fisher is scheduled to be arraigned at 3:00 pm on May 16th at the Marion County Circuit Court Annex.

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Deputies are asking for the public’s help in locating an inmate who walked away from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Transition Center.  Leighanna Vanderhoof, 25, walked away from the facility at around 8:40 am Thursday, May 9th.  Vanderhoof was in custody for a Parole Violation.

Vanderhoof is a white female adult, with blue eyes and dark brown hair.  She is 5-feet 6-inches tall and weights 160lbs.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office Transition Center prepares inmates for re-entry into the community prior to release from custody.  The Transition Center has a capacity of 144 offenders.

Deputies are asking anyone with information about Vanderhoof to call the Marion County Sheriff’s Office at 503-588-5032. 

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On May 6th, at approximately 10:15 pm deputies were dispatched to the report of a shooting in the 3600 block of Joshua Av NE, Salem.  When deputies arrived on scene, they located three victims of the shooting who have since been identified.

Bradley Kelley, 35, of Salem was found deceased at the scene.  Two additional victims were transported to Salem Hospital by medics.  Michael Buntjer, 35, of Salem succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.  The third victim, Coral Olfert, a 26 year-old female from Salem, has non-life threatening injuries.

Autopsies on both deceased victims were conducted earlier today by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.   Both deaths have been ruled homicides as a result of gunshot wounds.

Investigators continued working overnight and throughout the day and were able to identify two suspects in the shooting.  Keonte Caldwell, 23, and Curtis Welch, 26, were located and taken into custody earlier today in the Roseburg area.  The suspects were known to the victims and reside in the Salem area.  Both men will be charged with Aggravated Murder and Attempted Aggravated Murder.  There is currently no booking photo available of either suspect.

If anyone has additional information which may be helpful to investigators please have them contact the Marion County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch at (503) 588-5032.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office, Oregon State Police, Keizer Police Department, and Woodburn Police Department.

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On May 6th, at approximately 10:15 pm deputies were dispatched to the report of a shooting in the 3600 block of Joshua Av NE, Salem.  When deputies arrived on scene, they located one person who was deceased and two others with injuries who were transported to a local hospital.  One of those transported has since died.  The remaining survivor is in stable condition.

Detectives have been investigating throughout the night and are continuing to follow investigative leads.  No suspect information is available at this time.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted by the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office, Oregon State Police, Keizer Police Department, and Woodburn Police Department.

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At approximately 10:15 pm, Deputies were dispatched to the report of a shooting in the 3600 block of Joshua Av NE, Salem.  When deputies arrived they located three victims who had sustained injuries.  The condition of the victims is not available at this time.  Detectives are on scene and investigating.  There is no additional information at this time. 

A media staging area will be set up on Joshua Av NE at Dalke Ct NE.

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The driver's name, Renaldo Williams,  was misspelled in the original release.  Mr. William's has not yet been processed into Marion County Jail.  An update with a booking photograph of Mr. Williams will be sent out once it is available.

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At approximately 12:34 pm on May 6th, deputies were working a speed enforcement detail on Interstate 5 near Woodburn, in northern Marion County.  Deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a 2014 Ford for exceeding the speed limit.  The driver failed to yield to the emergency vehicle and attempted to flee, continuing southbound.  As the driver continued through the Salem area, deputies were able to disable the vehicle using tire deflation devices, commonly referred to as spike strips.

The vehicle finally came to a stop in the center lane of Interstate 5 southbound near Highway 22.  The driver barricaded himself in his vehicle for nearly 20 minutes before being taken into custody.

The driver has been identified as Renaldo Williams, a 38-year-old Portland man.  Mr. Williams was arrested for the following charges:  Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Interfering with a Law Enforcement Animal and an outstanding warrant out of Clackamas County.  He will be lodged at the Marion County Jail.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Salem Police Department and Oregon State Police during this incident.  Interstate 5 has reopened to all traffic.

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At approximately 3:45 am this morning, May 6th, first responders were dispatched to a reported apartment fire in the 4000 block of Satter Drive NE, Salem.  When deputies arrived on scene, they found the first and second floor of an apartment building fully engulfed with one person reported to still be inside. 

Fire crews rescued a 58 year old female resident from a first floor apartment in the building.  The female was transported initially to an area hospital where she was listed as being in critical condition.

Fire personal and law enforcement coordinated on scene to safely evacuate other nearby apartments.  Three other residents were transported from the apartment fire for concerns of smoke inhalation.  In total, eight units in the apartment complex were impacted due to the fire.  Three Marion County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were treated and released for smoke inhalation.

Marion County Fire District #1 led the fire-fighting efforts on the scene and were assisted by the Salem Fire Department, Keizer Fire Department, and Falck Northwest who provided medical support.  In total, seven engines and four medics responded to the fire in addition to numerous law enforcement officers from the Sheriff’s Office and Salem Police Department.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown and is being investigated by the Salem Fire Department.  Marion County Public Works has reopened all of the roadways which were closed during this response.

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This morning, May 6th, at approximately 3:45 am emergency services personnel were dispatched to an apartment fire in the 4000 block of Satter Drive NE, Salem.  When deputies arrived on scene, they discovered an apartment fully engulfed in flames.  Marion County Fire District #1 responded to the fire and is still actively working on scene; so far eight apartments have been impacted.   At least one resident has been transported to the hospital with critical injuries.  Lancaster Drive is currently closed in both directions.