FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
DATE: May 14, 2026 

Salem Police Make Arrest in Connection with Multiple Theft Incidents 

SALEM, Ore. — On May 12, 2026, officers arrested Sara Maria Guzman-Staff, 39, of Salem, in connection with a series of theft incidents that occurred at various locations from December 2025 to May 2026. 

Guzman-Staff had been identified as the suspect in four shoplifting incidents. All theft cases were initiated by the Telephone Reporting Office, which receives and reviews reports submitted through the department’s online reporting system. Telephone Reporting Specialists were able to connect the cases through reviewing evidence submitted by the retailers. 

Telephone Reporting Specialists identified Guzman-Staff as a person of interest and coordinated the case information with officers, where it was assigned for follow-up. After further investigation, officers were able to confirm Guzman-Staff was the suspect. 

On May 12, officers spotted a vehicle driven by Guzman-Staff and stopped the vehicle. During the stop, she was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. 

Guzman-Staff was arrested for the four theft cases and the possession of methamphetamine and was lodged at Marion County Jail for multiple charges including Theft in the First Degree and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. 

The Salem Police Department would like to recognize the efforts and coordination between the Telephone Reporting Office and patrol officers in making this arrest and interrupting the cycle of thefts. We also want to encourage our community to report criminal activity, as your report may be the one that connects several cases together. Many non-emergency crimes can be reported online by visiting this link: salempd.info/online-reports. 

The investigation is ongoing, and further inquiries should be directed to the Marion County District Attorney's Office.  

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