Suspect who escaped Union County youth facility arrested for murder in Medford
By Julie Thompson on Wednesday, January 31st, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE — An 18-year-old who escaped from an Oregon Youth Authority Camp Riverbend community outing in December is back in custody, accused of murdering a man in Medford.
Jesus Armando Pena Jr. was in custody at the juvenile detention center, located along the Hilgard Highway in Union County, when he managed to escape during a community outing in La Grande on December 7.
He managed to evade capture for nearly two months and is now accused of pulling the trigger during a deadly weekend shooting in southern Oregon, 465 miles away from La Grande.
He allegedly shot and killed 51-year-old Justin William Keaton at a laundromat in Medford on Saturday, January 27.
Medford Police (MPD) say surveillance video at the laundromat led police to identify Pena Jr. as a suspect. After three days, Medford Police SWAT located him and took him into custody without incident on Tuesday, January 30.
MPD noted that Pena Jr., “recently escaped from Oregon Youth Authority custody and has only been in the Medford area a short while. He has warrants for his arrest.”
He’s now lodged at the Jackson County Jail on murder charges, among others.
Elkhorn Media Group has reached out to the Oregon Youth Authority for more information on Pena Jr.
