Just before noon, Friday, January 30th, a bank robbery at Columbia Bank in Depoe Bay was reported to the Lincoln County Sheriff department.
Callers reported two armed adult males concealing their faces entered the bank and held staff at gun point, demanding access to the vault. before the two successfully obtained more than $50,000 in US currency before fleeing south on Highway 101 in a red sedan without license plates according to Columbia Bank.
The red suspect vehicle was found abandoned and set on fire at a vacant lot in Depoe Bay, and a nearby resident reported the suspects were seen getting into a grey 4 door Toyota before leaving the area.
Newport Police spotted a grey Toyota Camry in Newport, at approximately 12:51pm, that witnesses had reported seeing two men leave the vehicle on foot.
Newport Police spotted a white male adult matching the description of one of the suspects at the intersection Hwy 101 and Hwy 20 during a search of the area. The subject was contacted and detained. A short time later, the second male was spotted at Nye Beach and detained as well.
A subsequent canvas of the nearby area around the vehicle revealed clothing found in a public trash can that matched the clothing worn by the suspects in the bank..
Newport Police K9 Officer Mangum and K9 Sly were used to search the area of Don Davis park and its related trails up to Nye Beach. A large backpack matching the description used in the bank robbery was located and seized.
A search warrant for the involved Toyota Camry and backpack was applied for and granted. A search of the items located over $50,000 in cash and two weapons.
37 year old Franco Armando Mereno Jr. of Portland and 43 year old Jonathon F. Schwentner of Canby were lodged at the Lincoln County Jail and charged with Robbery I, Kidnap II and Aggravated Theft.
This incident remains under investigation.
