GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Two fugitives wanted in Washington State were arrested in Southern Oregon.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety said 36-year-old Guillermo B. Othon and 26-year-old Cierra B. Larsen had felony warrants for their arrest out of Thurston County, Washington. They were also wanted in connection with an armed home-invasion robbery in that state.
According to police, Larsen and Othon were considered armed and dangerous as they traveled to a home in the 1800 block of Rogue River Highway with their 4-year-old daughter.
On the afternoon of May 18, as the trio was still traveling south, police acted preemptively and surrounded the Grants Pass residence with the help of a SWAT team and numerous law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service.
Larsen and Othon arrived at about 6:00 p.m., but they were able to barricade themselves and their daughter inside the home and wouldn’t come out.
Grants Pass police said “diversionary tactics were used to gain compliance” and Othon exited the residence at about 7:30 p.m. However, Larsen stayed inside with the young girl.
Officers tried to get Larsen’s attention with a PA system, but they didn’t get a response until 8:34 p.m., when she texted she was no longer in the residence. At that point, police reportedly decided to conduct a search after obtaining a warrant.
According to GPDPS, Larsen and her daughter were found hiding beneath insulation in the attic.
The child was secured at about 1:55 a.m. and evaluated by emergency responders before being taken into protective custody. A few minutes later, Larsen was taken into custody.
“Throughout this event, the number one priority for every agency involved was the health and safety of the four-year-old child,” police said. “City, County, State and Federal agencies all worked together to coordinate a peaceful resolution. The professionalism of each individual involved resulted in the successful rescue of the child, who was found to be uninjured and in good spirits. We would also like to thank the public for their patience, particularly the neighbors who were disturbed by the events and evacuations.”
Othon was jailed for being a fugitive, resisting arrest, and interfering with a police officer. Larsen was arrested for being a fugitive.
Police added that while they were involved with the standoff, several vehicles drove past police barricades on Rogue River Highway. Officers explained, “These incidents posed a safety risk to the agencies on scene and required additional officers [to] respond to investigate. Both drivers were found to be impaired and arrested for DUII.”
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