Gunfire, Armed Robbery Attempt Lead to Ashland Arrest
Police recovered two handguns after a fight in a Clover Lane parking lot.
Fast Facts
Incident:
Attempted armed robbery that escalated into a physical fight and gunfire in a business parking lot.
Location:
500 block of Clover Lane, Ashland
Date/Time:
Sunday, July 19, around 3:30 p.m.
Suspect:
Diogenes Pena Javier, 43, of Ashland
Weapons:
Two handguns recovered, including one fitted with a homemade suppressor.
Gunfire:
One round was fired, striking the victim’s van. No gunshot injuries were reported.
Charges:
Robbery I
Disorderly Conduct II
Assault IV
Unlawful Use of a Weapon
Reckless Endangerment
Menacing
Status:
Arrested July 22 and lodged at the Jackson County Jail.
ASHLAND, Ore. — An Ashland man was arrested Wednesday following an investigation into an attempted armed robbery that police say escalated into a physical fight and gunfire in a business parking lot.
Ashland Police Department officers responded around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19, to the 500 block of Clover Lane after callers reported two men fighting in a nearby parking lot.
When officers arrived, one of the men remained at the scene while the other had left.
Investigators later determined the victim had been sitting inside a van when another man allegedly approached with a handgun and demanded property, according to police. The encounter then developed into the physical altercation witnessed by bystanders.
Police said the two men appear to have known each other.
Investigators determined two handguns were involved in the altercation, both allegedly in the possession of the suspect. Officers recovered both weapons at the scene.
One of the handguns had been fitted with what police described as a homemade suppressor, commonly referred to as a silencer.
Police also found that one shot had been fired during the altercation, striking the victim’s van. No gunshot injuries were reported.
Officers and detectives with APD’s Criminal Investigation Division interviewed witnesses and collected evidence as the investigation continued over the following several days.
On Wednesday, July 22, Ashland police arrested 43-year-old Diogenes Pena Javier at his Ashland residence.
He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail on charges of first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree disorderly conduct, reckless endangerment, menacing and fourth-degree assault.
The investigation was conducted in coordination with the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
Cover image: File photo, Ashland Police Department.
