Woodburn man accused of committing robberies with ‘hoax bomb’ vests

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Woodburn man was arrested on Thursday after allegedly committing multiple robberies with “hoax bomb” vests, authorities said.

The Woodburn Police Department said they arrested 33-year-old Nicolas Contreras-Salmion, who is now accused of two counts of second-degree robbery, three counts of possession of a hoax device and one count of second-degree attempted robbery.

At about 10 a.m., police said they made contact with “a subject matching the description of an armed robbery suspect of two recent convenience store robberies” — later identified as Contreras-Salmion — near North Pacific Highway and Lincoln Street.

“During the contact, detectives discovered that Contreras-Salmion was wearing a possible ‘bomb’ vest underneath his outer clothing.  The suspicious device was removed from the subject and left in place. The Oregon State Police bomb squad responded to the scene and determined the ‘bomb’ vest was a hoax device,” Woodburn police said in a press release.

Police said they found two other similar hoax bomb vests. One was found at the Crossroads Grocery and Deli several days after an armed robbery took place there on January 19. Another hoax bomb device was found in the 200 block of Harrison Street, believed to be in connection to an armed robbery that took place at the EZ-Stop Grocery and Deli convenience store on February 7.

“In both incidents, Contreras-Salmion wore a makeshift ‘bomb’ vest during the robberies,” police said.

All three recovered vests were determined to be hoax bomb devices, officials said. Police said they do not have reason to believe there are any additional hoax devices and that Contreras-Salmion “has cooperated in this investigation.”

Contreras-Salmion is being lodged in the Marion County Jail.

Anyone with more information about the incidents is asked to contact Woodburn police.