Oregon robbery suspect drew gun when clerk laughed at him, say investigators
An Oregon man claims he intentionally shot an officer’s vehicle because he did not want to hurt the officer when trying to get away during a robbery.
New details in court documents shed light on what happened inside the Wildhorse Resort and Casino last week when Javier Francisco Vigil, 51, tried to rob it in broad daylight. The casino in Pendleton is about an hour southeast of the Tri-Cities and is a popular regional destination in the region.
The investigation is now being handled by the FBI. Court documents filed by the special agent in charge of the investigation give the most detailed account yet of how the robbery and shooting unfolded outside of Pendleton on Aug. 17.
The special agent was with a Umatilla Tribal Police Department detective when the call came in and was one of the first members of law enforcement on the scene after an officer called in “shots fired” at the casino.
When they arrived, Vigil was lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. A pistol and a clear bag of unfolded cash was on the ground next to him, according to the affidavit.
The responding officer’s vehicle had multiple bullet holes in it, including the front hood, front passenger tire and through the front passenger and driver side windows.
Robbery unfolds
Security footage showed that Vigil parked a truck at the Arrowhead travel center next to the casino when he arrived just before 1 p.m.
He was wearing a white football jersey, a baseball cap, gloves and sunglasses. Security footage shows a pistol on his hip and two extra magazines.
He then walked into the casino and straight to the money cage, where he presented the cashier with a note demanding $1 million.
The clerk told investigators that she laughed at him, thinking it was a joke. Vigil then pulled out his gun and pointed it at her. The clerk began putting money on the counter, Vigil demanded a bag to put it in and was given one by another clerk.
The clerk told investigators that Vigil was saying things such as “I’m f---ing God,” and, “I’m going to bathe everyone in blood.”
As the clerk was getting money out of the cash drawer she managed to hit an emergency button.
Vigil then began to make his way out of the casino with $69,068, two minutes after entering. At least one witness tried to follow him, according to the documents.
As he was exiting the casino, Vigil looked to his right and spotted the UTPD officer behind his K-9 vehicle. It’s unclear if a police dog was in the car at the time.
Vigil and the officer then exchanged gunfire, resulting in Vigil being wounded.
A bystander who was also shot was previously identified by the Pendleton School District as an employee who was at the casino as part of a school event. That person has not been identified. In a footnote, the special agent said that they were outside the casino at the time, but did not identify who shot the bystander.
When interviewed by investigators, Vigil said he pointed his gun at the officer and fired one round, but did not fire at the officer because he did not want to hurt them, according to court documents.
Vigil is being held without bail on suspicion of federal robbery and weapons charges. Federal Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo denied bail based on several factors including his criminal history, previous failure to appear and risk to the public, according to the order of detention filed Friday.
He is being held in a Portland jail. His next court date is set for Thursday, with a formal arraignment set for Sept. 15. The charges he faces may change as the investigation continues.
Public records show that Vigil has a long history of burglary, theft, assault and resisting arrest or fleeing charges. He has twice been convicted of assaulting a police officer.
This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 12:58 PM.
