Date: April 16, 2026 

Case #: 2026-00011980 

Incident: Man arrested after pulling a gun in March dispute  

Date / Time of Incident: April 16, 2026 / 8:54 a.m. 

Location: NE Butler Market Road and Florence Drive, Bend  

Arrested: Kenneth Noe Gonzalez, 25-year-old Bend resident 

Offenses: Menacing, Assault III 

Bend Police and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team on Thursday arrested a 25-year-old Bend man involved in a March 7 dispute at Cassity’s Bar in SW Bend.  

At approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday, March 7, Bend Police responded to a report of a physical fight involving multiple bar patrons in the parking lot of Cassity’s Bar at 25 SW Century Drive. During the altercation, one of the participants took out a handgun and pressed it to the victim’s chest for several seconds before leaving the scene.  

Over the course of the investigation, officers identified 25-year-old Kenneth Noe Gonzalez as the suspect in the case.  

At approximately 8:54 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, Bend Police and Central Oregon Emergency Response Team members conducted a traffic stop on a silver Subaru Legacy at the corner of Butler Market Road and Florence Drive in NE Bend. Gonzalez was driving the vehicle, and was taken into custody without incident. He was transported to the Deschutes County Jail on suspicion of menacing and third-degree assault. 

CERT and patrol officers executed three search warrants related to this incident – one on Gonzalez’s home in the 63100 block of Deschutes Market Road, and two on his vehicles.  

Bend Police begin issuing Automated Traffic Enforcement warnings
 

Beginning today, the City of Bend and the Bend Police Department will issue warnings to drivers who speed or run red lights at three intersections around the City.
 

The 30-day warning period is the first step in the implementation of the Automated Traffic Enforcement program, which is designed to cut down on motor vehicle crashes and increase traffic safety for all road users in our community.
 

Cameras in three locations, which were chosen for a high number of crashes and community complaints, are now live:
 

As of today, the cameras will begin capturing images and video of vehicles that do not stop for a red light (including a complete stop before a right turn) or that speed through the intersection. Warnings will be issued through the mail to drivers who run red lights or speed through these intersections. Beginning May 15, citations will be issued.

Signs to alert drivers to the automated traffic enforcement cameras are mounted near each intersection, as well as on major routes as drivers enter city limits.

We know you have questions about the program. To learn more about the Bend Police Department’s Automated Traffic Enforcement, go to https://bendoregon.gov/departments/public-safety/police/traffic-parking/automated-traffic-enforcement-program/.

Date: April 7, 2026 

Case #: 2026-00017237

Incident: Bend-La Pine Schools bus driver arrested for DUII, reckless endangering

Date of Incident: April 3, 2026 

Arrested: Martha Ann Gerlicher, 67-year-old Bend resident 

Offenses: DUII, Reckless Endangering 

At approximately 6:45 p.m. on Friday, April 3, Bend Police received a call for service from a Bend-La Pine Schools transportation employee, who reported that a bus driver had been under the influence of alcohol while driving a school bus. 

According to the transportation employee, the driver, 67-year-old Martha Ann Gerlicher, called in to the transportation office to report the brakes on her bus weren’t working. Gerlicher had completed a bus route for Pine Ridge Elementary School and was at High Desert Middle School to begin another route. When the transportation employee arrived at High Desert Middle School at approximately 3:15 p.m., she found the bus had no mechanical issues but believed Gerlicher was intoxicated. The employee removed Gerlicher from the bus and took her to a private testing facility for breath samples, which tested positive for high levels of alcohol. 

At approximately 6:45 p.m., the school district contacted nonemergency dispatch to report the incident. Officers responded to Gerlicher’s home, where she was taken into custody. 

Gerlicher was transported to the Bend Police Department, and at 11 p.m., approximately seven hours after the tests at the private facility, Gerlicher registered a 0.16 percent BAC. She was transported to the Deschutes County Jail on suspicion of DUII and reckless endangering. 

Date: April 2, 2026

Case #: 2026-00016857

Incident: Bend Police seek public’s assistance in identifying armed robbery suspect

Date / Time of Incident: April 1, 2026 / 9:03 p.m. 

Location: Abby’s Legendary Pizza, 1115 NE Third Street, Bend 

At approximately 9:03 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, Bend Police responded to Abby’s Legendary Pizza on NE Third Street for a report of an armed robbery. 

Upon arrival, officers learned that a man had come into Abby’s and gambled in the Oregon Lottery game room at the pizzeria. When an employee approached the man and told him the establishment was closing, he approached the counter to cash out a ticket worth 86 cents. 

The suspect then pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at the employee. The employee gave the suspect 86 cents and said she would not give him any more money. He left the business, got on a black BMX bike and cycled westbound toward NE Second Street. 

The suspect is described as either a white or Hispanic adult male, likely in his 20s or 30s and approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a black baseball cap, light gray jeans, and black latex work gloves. His bicycle is a black BMX with a rear brake.

He is suspected of first-degree attempted robbery, coercion, and unlawful use of a weapon. 

Photos of the suspect and his bicycle are attached to this press release. If you recognize the suspect, please contact nonemergency dispatch at 541-693-6911. 

Date: April 2, 2026

Incident: Bend Police Department receives two awards from the Oregon DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force

The Bend Police Department is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the 2025 Enforcement Agency of the Year by the Oregon DUII Multi-Disciplinary Training Task Force.  

In addition, Bend Police Officer Zachary Childers was named the 2025 DUII Officer of the Year. Officer Childers has been an officer with the Bend Police Department since 2017 and in law enforcement for more than a decade. He currently serves as a DUII/Aggressive Driving Enforcement Officer for the agency. 

The awards were presented at the 2026 Oregon DUII Multi-Disciplinary Conference. Mothers Against Drunk Driving also recognized Officer Childers with the honor of DUII Officer of the Year at the event.

In 2025, Bend Police arrested more than 550 people for DUII. Officer Childers made 151 of those arrests. His commitment to keeping our roads safe by finding and arresting impaired drivers makes a huge different in our community, and we are proud of his work and his award. 

DUII enforcement is a primary focus of the Bend Police Department. In addition to enforcement, however, the Department is committed to prevention as well. In 2025, the Department’s traffic team partnered with School Resource Officers to educate students on traffic safety, with hands-on exercises using goggles and pedal carts that help simulate driving and driving impaired. On New Year’s Eve, Bend Police staffed 10 additional patrol officers, focused in the downtown area, to make sure our community knew law enforcement was taking DUIIs seriously. The Department also set up an education booth and provided free alcohol breath testing to nearly 200 members of the public. 

In 2025, four of the five fatal crashes in Bend involved impairment. That’s one of the reasons our Department has increased staffing, training and the skillsets of members of our traffic reconstruction team. Having an effective reconstruction team allows us to hold impaired drivers accountable when they harm others in the community. 

The Bend Police Department will continue to prioritize keeping drunk and drug-impaired drivers off our roads. We encourage every member of our community to not get behind the wheel while impaired so we can all work together to keep our roads safe for all users. 

Bend Police prepare to implement Automated Traffic Enforcement 

The City of Bend and the Bend Police Department will start issuing warnings at three red-light and speed camera locations beginning April 15. 

The 30-day warning period is the first step in the implementation of the Automated Traffic Enforcement program, which is designed to cut down on motor vehicle crashes and increase traffic safety for all road users in our community. 

The city contracted with Verra Mobility, which installed cameras in three locations chosen for their high number of crashes and community complaints: 

Those cameras will go live on April 15, and will begin capturing images and video of vehicles that do not stop for a red light (including a complete stop before a right turn) or that speed through the intersection. Until May 15, drivers who run red lights or speed through these intersections will receive warnings in the mail. Beginning May 15, citations will be issued. 

Signs to alert drivers to the automated traffic enforcement cameras are mounted near each intersection, as well as on major routes as drivers enter city limits. 

The most common complaints Bend Police hear from community members are concerns about speeding and other traffic safety issues. Automated traffic enforcement is designed to supplement our existing traffic enforcement capabilities and enforce existing laws.

To learn more about the Bend Police Department’s Automated Traffic Enforcement program, go to https://bendoregon.gov/departments/public-safety/police/traffic-parking/automated-traffic-enforcement-program/.

The Bend Police Department has hosted several public meetings to provide additional information about the program. An information session will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 9 at Larkspur Community Center, 1500 SE Reed Market Road. A final information session will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, April 13 at the Municipal Court, 555 NE 15th Street.