A 34-year-old man was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to attempting to rob several stores in Woodburn while wearing vests lined with fake explosives.
Nicholas Contreras-Salmion, 34, was sentenced Aug. 4 in Marion County Circuit Court on two counts of robbery, attempt to commit a felony and possession of a hoax destructive device.
Contreras-Salmion also will serve three years of post-prison supervision.
On Jan. 19, Contreras-Salmion entered Crossroads Grocery in Woodburn, approached the counter, unbuttoned his sweatshirt to reveal a vest that appeared to have explosives attached to it and held what appeared to be a detonator in his left hand, according to the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.
He handed the clerk a cloth bag and demanded money, the district attorney’s office said. The clerk gave him cash from the register, and he left the store.
The fake bomb vest worn by Nicholas Contreras-Salmion when he attempted to rob a store in Woodburn.
About one week later, police found a device resembling the bomb vest Contreras-Salmion was wearing. The Oregon State Police Bomb Squad responded and determined it had no explosives.
On Feb. 7, Contreras-Salmion entered the EZ Stop Grocery in Woodburn and approached the counter, placed a towel on it and unzipped his sweatshirt to reveal what appeared to be a bomb strapped to him, the district attorney’s office said.
He told the clerk she had seven minutes to open the safe. When she told him she didn’t have access to the safe and went for her phone, he pressed a button, a red light flashed and he warned her she had three minutes, the district attorney’s office said.
The district attorney’s office said when a customer emerged from the bathroom, Contreras-Salmion left the store.
On Feb. 13, two police officers saw Contreras-Salmion walking on Lincoln Street in Woodburn while on patrol and stopped him. When they found him, he was wearing another hoax destructive device, the district attorney’s office said.
The district attorney’s office said Contreras-Salmion said he was out of work at the time of the robberies and was using methamphetamine.
Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Man sentenced for threatening stores with fake explosives in Woodburn