Salem security officer leads police to murder suspect
Salem OR June 20 2017 Two men were killed and another was arrested following a late Sunday shooting in the parking lot of a northeast Salem strip mall.
Police responding to the 911 call just before 11 p.m. Sunday found two individuals fatally shot in a parking lot in the 1600 block of Lancaster Drive NE, said Salem police spokesman Lt. Dave Okada.
Witnesses reported seeing two vehicles parked outside a pool hall. A group of men began arguing. Suddenly a few shots rang out, followed by a round of gunfire, witnesses said.
Brent McCarthy, who lives directly across the street from the strip mall, ran outside when he heard the gunshots. He opened his front door to see four to five flashes of light and hear another round of gunfire.
McCarthy said he watched as a man dropped the gun and began walking toward him.
The man casually walked past McCarthy and into the neighborhood. McCarthy waved over a private security guard that patrolled the apartment complex and told him what happened.
McCarthy called 911 and walked over to the gruesome scene in the parking lot. A bullet-riddled SUV was parked next to the pool hall. A small caliber gun was lying on the ground.
McCarthy checked the pulse of one victim, but he was already dead. The other victim was shot in the face, he said.
The security guard followed the alleged shooter until police arrived.
Okada said Marcelino Osorio-Jiminez, 35, of Salem, was arrested near the scene on two counts of murder.
The investigation by police found Osorio-Jiminez allegedly shot two men following an argument in the parking lot.
According to court records, Osorio-Jiminez was arrested on suspicion of discharging a firearm in a city, illegal possession of a firearm and resisting arrest in 2006. He pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and was sentenced to three years’ probation.
Following his arrest, Osorio-Jiminez was taken to Marion County jail and held without bail.
The two deceased victims were identified as Hector Martinez-Arroyo, 26, and
Carlos Zepeda-Ponce, 50, both of Salem.
Investigators filled the Heritage Square shopping center early Monday morning but cleared out of the area before many of the businesses— a collection of bakeries, markets and restaurants— had opened.
A steady stream of cars passed along Lancaster and the nearby Fred Meyer grocery store.
McCarthy said in the past, other than the large homeless population and the occasional scuffle outside the bar, the area has been peaceful. His close-knit community has been shaken by the slayings that happened only 100 feet from their front doors.
“We watch out for each other,” he said.
When he walked over to the parking lot Monday morning to say a prayer, he ran into a friend of one of the victims, who was also praying.
The saddest thing has been seeing the family members and friends of the victims at the scene, McCarthy said.
“It’s just terrible to think someone could take two lives and just nonchalantly walk away,” he said.
Police ask anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any information to call the Salem Police tip line at 503-588-8477.
KGW
