Yamhill County Sheriff's Office Closes Two Significant Cases With Arrests -04/14/23

On May 25, 2021, Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office responded to a stabbing in the 600 block of SW Cherry Ave in the city of Willamina.  The victim in the case, an adult male,  was 30 years old at the time of the incident.  The victim suffered multiple serious stab wounds to his left arm, shoulder, and his neck. The victim had been asleep in a vehicle when he was awoken by the vehicle window being broken and him being stabbed.  Responding deputies secured the crime scene and collected evidence as the victim was transported to the hospital. 

 

Over the span of nearly 2 years, investigators with the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office CRT team continued the investigation by following up on various leads generated through search warrants and evidence processing by the Oregon State Police Forensic Laboratory. A suspect was identified which allowed even more evidence collection.  The case was presented to a Grand Jury in Yamhill County and the suspect was indicted on the charges of Assault 1^st Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Criminal Mischief 2^nd Degree.  An arrest warrant was issued for the individual.

 

On March 18, 2023, the suspect, identified as Jean Emmanuel Ruiz, age 37 from Cape Coral, FL was arrested on the Yamhill County warrant by the Novato Police Department in Marin County, CA.  Ruiz was stopped by a patrol officer after the officer observed Ruiz commit a traffic offense (driving while using a cell phone).  Ruiz was lodged in the Marin County Jail and investigators from the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office traveled to Marin County to continue the investigation and collect additional evidence.  Ruiz was able to secure release by posting bail and is not currently in custody.

 

The second case began on December 16, 2022, when Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported robbery at Dillon’s Bar in Willamina.  Staff and patrons described that a white male entered the bar and brandished a handgun, demanding money.  The subject fled and was not located by responding personnel.  Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office received assistance during the initial response from Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department.

 

Detectives with the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit (SIU) conducted extensive searches of the area and canvassed the area to identify witnesses or surveillance cameras.  Several investigative leads were developed, which resulted in a search warrant being served in January 2023 at a rural property in Polk County.  Additional evidence was collected related to the robbery. Ultimately investigators presented the case to a Yamhill County Grand Jury which resulted in indictments for two subjects.  Arrest warrants were issued for Corey Dean Elliott, age 29 from Sheridan, OR and Mychael Allen Lee, age 38 from McMinnville, OR on the charges of: Robbery 1^st Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Theft 1^st Degree.  Both Elliott and Lee are currently in custody in the Yamhill County Correctional Facility.