Two men sought after theft at deputy's home
This is a press release courtesy of the Marion County Sheriff's Office
On Wednesday, April 11th Marion County Reserve Deputy Greg Roach reported a burglary at his home south of Salem. Among the items taken in that burglary were his Sheriff's Office issued portable radio, cell phone and body armor. Also taken were three firearms including a handgun, rifle and shotgun and a standard police duty belt with handcuffs and pepper spray.
On Sunday, April 22nd, while the investigation into the burglary was ongoing, two deputies responded to a noise complaint call at 3573 Hermosa Ct NE in Salem at about 11:00 pm. When they arrived they approached a gray 2004 Volkswagen Jetta parked in the driveway with three people inside. The driver and front seat passenger refused to roll down their windows to talk to the deputies. A passenger, 29-year-old Crystal Williams, got out of the car and was speaking with one of the deputies when the driver started the car and backed it up, hitting one of the deputies in the leg. The driver pulled the car forward and backed into the deputy again. All the while both deputies were yelling at the driver to stop. The driver drove the car across the lawn of the adjacent home and sped away. The deputy was uninjured. Ms. Williams was not arrested. A short time after the car sped away it was found abandoned in the 3000 block of Mooreland Ave NE in Salem. Inside the car deputies found the police radio stolen during the burglary of the Reserve Deputy's home on April 11th. The investigators found that the car was borrowed by the registered owner's daughter but it is unclear how it came into the possession of Mr. Farris and Mr. Vargas. It had not been reported stolen however. It was impounded as part of these ongoing investigations. Two men have been identified as those inside the Jetta during the April 22nd incident where the deputy was hit by the car. They are William L Farris, 29, and Martin Paul Vargas Jr., 23, both of Salem. In addition to being sought in connection with these cases, Mr. Farris has an outstanding warrant for Parole Violation. Both men have an extensive criminal history including drugs, weapons, driving, person and property offenses. These men should be considered to be armed and dangerous. Mr. Farris is described as a White male, 5'4" tall, 124 lbs with short brown hair and brown eyes (see photo). He has many tattoos on his chest arms and back. Mr. Vargas is described as a Hispanic male, 5'10" tall, 145 lbs with black hair and brown eyes (see photo). Anyone with information of the whereabouts of these two men or who may have information about either of these cases is asked to call Marion County Sheriff's Office Detectives at 540-8007 or the Sheriff's Office dispatch at 503-588-5032.
On Monday, April 23rd Marion County Detectives went to the home on Hermosa Ct. as part of the continuing investigation into the events of the night before. When they arrived, four males ran from the home. One of the men, Brandon Case, 29, of Salem was located a short distance away and was found to have outstanding arrest warrants for theft and fraud.