Deputies from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance call at the Pioneer Villa Truck Stop, located near Halsey off Interstate 5, on Wednesday morning. The incident, reported just before 8 a.m., involved a man allegedly starting a fire and then threatening a bystander with a knife.
Witnesses at the scene stated they were driving by the Pioneer Villa Truck Stop when they noticed flames on a building. Upon investigating, they encountered the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Omar Ochoa Cervantes from Salem, allegedly using lighter fluid to fuel a fire that was engulfing an electrical box. When a witness attempted to intervene and remove the lighter fluid, Cervantes reportedly brandished a knife.
According to reports, a manager from the Pioneer Villa Truck Stop extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher. Witnesses further recounted that Cervantes then approached the manager with the knife, prompting the manager to spray Cervantes with the fire extinguisher in response.
Cervantes subsequently fled the scene, pursued by one of the witnesses. During the chase, he allegedly attempted to throw objects at the witness, including a rock and a stick of deodorant, the latter reportedly striking the witness in the head.
Upon arrival, deputies and Oregon State Police officers located and apprehended Cervantes near I-5. Authorities confirmed that the fire damage was contained to the exterior wall and electrical box of the Pioneer Villa Truck Stop, with the total value of the damage still under assessment.
Omar Ochoa Cervantes was taken into custody at the Linn County Jail. He faces serious charges including first-degree arson, harassment, menacing, and fourth-degree attempted assault stemming from the incident at the Pioneer Villa Truck Stop.
Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
