Victim thwarts attempted carjacking

McMinnville Police responded to Walmart, 2375 Highway 99W, about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, on the report of an attempted carjacking.

The adult male victim was loading items into his car when an adult male subject, brandishing a large knife, approached him and demanded his car keys.

Fearing for his life, the victim drew a handgun he had holstered on his hip and pointed it at the subject, who ran away through the Walmart parking lot toward the adjoining WinCo Foods grocery store.

Officers arrived in the area within about a minute and started searching for the subject. They learned he had left some luggage behind, and one piece had a tag on it with the subject’s name.

Officers were able to obtain a photograph of the subject and they quickly determined that a subject standing near the Panda Express restaurant on the opposite side of Highway 99W was of interest in the crime. He was detained without incident and interviewed, during which time he admitted to his involvement in the incident.

As part of the investigation, officers viewed video surveillance footage from Walmart and WinCo Foods, and an officer eventually located a piece of clothing near the WinCo store that the subject ditched while fleeing the area.

An officer on scene also learned that an uninvolved citizen had found a large knife in the parking lot and had picked it up for safety reasons, not knowing it was involved in the carjacking incident.

The knife was collected as evidence, and during the interview, the subject admitted to ditching the knife as he ran away through the Walmart parking lot.

The subject was identified as Aaron J. Quiocho, 22, of Beaverton.

He said he was dropped off in McMinnville by a family member because they did not want him at their house in Beaverton anymore, and he stated his intent was to take the victim’s vehicle so he could go back to the family member’s house.

He was charged with one count each of first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a weapon and lodged in the Yamhill County Jail on $15,000 bail.

The victim was uninjured but shaken up by the incident.