Salem Man Arrested on Central Oregon Coast's Lincoln City for Allegedly Menacing with Gun Replica

Published 04/09/26 at 7:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – Wednesday became a bit harrowing for one group of workers on the central Oregon coast, as a man from the Willamette Valley pointed a fake gun at them and threatened them. (Photo courtesy Lincoln City Police)

Lincoln City Police arrested a Salem man on April 8, 2026, after receiving reports that he had pointed a firearm at construction workers near NW 14th Street and Highway 101. Officers arrived within minutes, locating and detaining 36-year-old Omar Cortes-Santiago, who matched the description provided by the caller. Police noted they had dealt with Cortes-Santiago in a similar incident in the summer of 2025, though that case was dropped when witnesses declined to cooperate in court.

During Wednesday’s investigation, officers interviewed multiple witnesses as well as Cortes-Santiago. According to police, many of his statements conflicted with accounts from victims and bystanders. A search of his backpack turned up a replica handgun and a used methamphetamine pipe.

Cortes-Santiago was booked into the Lincoln County Jail on two felony counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Menacing, two counts of Reckless Endangering, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, and Possession of Methamphetamines (Drug Enforcement Misdemeanor).

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