March 17, 2026 11:00 a.m. 

Sutherlin Police jailed a man for a reported robbery late Monday night.

Captain Ben Woodward said shortly after 11:00 p.m. officers responded to the Kwik Pik Market in the 500 block of West Central Avenue. Woodward said a store employee advised that a male suspect had left the store and gave a description of him. SPD officers located the man, who they recognized as 36-year-old Elijah Gomez, about a block away.

Woodward said the investigation revealed that Gomez had entered the business and told the employees that he was going to rob the place, while grabbing something inside his sweatshirt. An employee told Gomez to leave several times, which he eventually did. The man arrived again a short time later and then left the scene.

No weapons were displayed or mentioned during the incident.

When officers advised Gomez that he was under arrest, he allegedly attempted to escape and resisted arrest. After a brief struggle, he was taken into custody and transported to corrections.  Woodward said Gomez was charged with second degree counts of robbery, burglary, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, along with resisting arrest, harassment and escape in the third-degree. Gomez was detained without bail.