Oregon State Police Make Arrest in Gearhart Bomb Case; Two Crashes Near Coast Range

Published 01/27/26 at 6:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Astoria, Oregon) – It's been a busy month on or near the coastline for Oregon State Police. A rather unnerving case on the north Oregon coast from back in September has apparently been solved, and two crashes in the Coast Range area created more than a couple of tragedies.

OSP have arrested a suspect tied to an explosive device found last year at Sunset Beach State Park, a case that took them down to southern Oregon and involved a SWAT team.

James Mason Liggett, 52, was taken into custody on Sunday, January 4, 2026, in Grants Pass by OSP SWAT, with support from the OSP Explosives Unit and OSP Major Crimes.

Liggett was wanted in Clatsop County for the following charges:

Attempted Murder
Attempted Assault I
Attempted Assault II
Arson I
Possession of a Destructive Device
Manufacture of a Destructive Device

OSP said numerous agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, Oregon Parks Department, Warrenton Fire Department, Astoria Fire Department, Astoria Police Department, and Seaside Police Department.

No further information is being released while the case moves through the court process.

The arrest stems from an incident on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, when Oregon State Parks reported a suspicious backpack inside a public restroom at Sunset Beach State Recreation Site at Gearhart. Troopers located the backpack and requested assistance from explosives technicians with OSP and the Salem Police Department, who rendered the device safe. No injuries were reported.

Authorities searched additional locations throughout the day and found no other devices. They believed it to be an isolated incident – which has so far proven correct.

Bomb Found in Backpack at Sunset Beach on N. Oregon Coast - No other devices were found on the coast

Oregon State Police responded to and investigated two major crashes that left two people dead in separate incidents near the Oregon Coast Range - on Highways 22 and 18 in mid-January.

Hwy 18 - Oregon Coast Beach Connection

The most recent crash occurred Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 11:32 p.m., when troopers responded to a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 22 near milepost 16 in Polk County.

“The preliminary investigation indicated a westbound Chrysler Town and Country van, operated by Eduardo Carrillo Jiminez (42) of Lebanon, left the roadway for unknown reasons in between the Highway 223 exit and Highway 22, before rolling and ejecting the operator,” OSP said.

The highway was partially blocked for roughly four hours. The Polk County Sheriff's Office assisted.

Earlier in the month, on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 8:06 a.m., OSP responded to a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 18 and Highway 154 in Yamhill County. Investigators say a northbound Honda Civic driven by Abbygale Elizabeth Cain, 33, of Lafayette, attempted to cross Highway 18 and entered the path of an eastbound Audi AS4 operated by Isaac Andres Cisneros, 32, of Dayton. The impact pushed both vehicles into the westbound lane, where the Audi was struck by a westbound Freightliner flatbed truck driven by Kevin Loren Holstrom, 48, of Portland.

Cisneros died at the scene. Cain sustained minor injuries, and Holstrom was unhurt. The crash closed the highway for about five hours while crews worked and investigators documented the scene. The cause remains under investigation.

Responding agencies included the Yamhill County Sheriff-s Office, Dayton Fire and Rescue, Lafayette Fire and Rescue, the McMinnville Fire District, and ODOT.

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