Merlin, Oregon- A 72-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after deputies say he carried out a violent robbery attempt at a Dollar General in Josephine County, throwing acid on employees and threatening them with a knife.
The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded around 8:40 a.m. to reports of a robbery in progress at the store on Merlin Road. Thanks to witness descriptions, deputies quickly located and arrested the suspect, identified as Mark Warren Whidden, without further incident.
Investigators said Whidden approached the store counter, announced he was going to rob the business, and then threw a cup filled with muriatic acid at two employees. Both workers suffered severe chemical burns and tried to escape to a restroom to wash off the substance, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Whidden followed the employees, cornered them with a knife, and attempted to assault them. Deputies later found him carrying both the acid and the knife used in the attack.
Oregon State Police, American Medical Response, and Rural Metro Fire assisted at the scene. The injured employees were taken to a hospital for treatment of their chemical burns.
Whidden was booked into the Josephine County Jail on charges of first-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and menacing.
The case remains under investigation, officials said.
All suspects are believed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
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