Man suspected of armed carjacking in Medford arrested - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Man suspected of armed carjacking in Medford arrested Jorge Serna. Photo from Jackson County Jail. Sunday Oct 30, 2016 at 4:56 PM Oct 30, 2016 at 4:56 PM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil A Medford man who police say showed interest in a Craigslist ad for a car, then allegedly took that car from the seller at gunpoint after the two met up Saturday night, is in jail. In a news release, Medford police said they responded to a carjacking reported by the victim near the intersection of Edgewater Drive and Golf View Drive in east Medford, at 8:18 p.m. The investigation shows that prior to the incident, the male adult victim had posted Craigslist ad to sell his vehicle, a Mercedes. Investigators said 21-year-old Jorge Marco Antonio Serna, of the 600 block of South Columbus Avenue, replied to the ad, expressing interest in the transaction. Serna met the victim in the 2000 block of Howard Avenue in west northwest Medford, showing further interest in the vehicle. Police said Serna then asked if he could take the vehicle to have it inspected mechanically. The victim agreed and went with Serna. Later while the vehicle sat parked in the 3000 block of Edgewater Drive — across town from the original meetup location — Serna allegedly pulled out a gun and told the man to get out of the car. The man did and fled from the area, then called police. Sgt. Jeff Kirkpatrick said the man was not hurt, but did not have details on why the two men were at the Edgewater Drive location. Just before 8:40 p.m., an Oregon State Police trooper spotted the vehicle traveling south on North Phoenix Road near exit 24 on Interstate 5. OSP, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department and Phoenix police conducted a high risk traffic stop and arrested Serna without incident. It is not known if officers recovered the gun. On Sunday, Jackson County Jail records show Serna was held on charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree theft, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. His bail was set at $113,000. On their Facebook page, Medford police recommended asking to see a driver's license for anyone wanting to test drive your vehicle. They further recommended taking a picture of the license, sending it to a friend or family member, and letting the test driver know you are doing that. They also said to feel free to use Medford City Hall's parking lot to conduct Craigslist transactions, as it is already a popular spot for them. "In fact, you are welcome to use our lobby at our nice, new police department, which is under video surveillance of course," the post reads.   Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil.