On the morning of 7-1-2019, 72-year-old Jack Palmer Van Eaton, last known as being from the Portland area, was arrested in connection with the robbery of the Lincoln City Bank of the West that occurred on 06-14-2019. Through investigation and after receiving multiple tips from citizens and other law enforcement agencies, Lincoln City Police Department Detectives were able to identify Jack Palmer Van Eaton as a suspect in the Bank of the West robbery that occurred on 6-14-19. On 07-01-19 at about 7:57 AM members of the Lincoln City Police Department, assisted by officers from other law enforcement agencies, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Van Eaton was driving in the 1900 block of NW 33RD Street and took him into custody without incident. A search warrant was served on the vehicle Van Eaton was driving, and on a hotel room Van Eaton was staying in, as well as on Van Eaton himself. Van Eaton was initially transported to the Lincoln City Police Department and held for a short time before being transported to the Lincoln County Jail and lodged there on charges of Robbery 2, Menacing, and Aggravated Theft 1. The members of the Lincoln City Police Department would like to thank the Newport Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Albany Police Department, the Astoria Police Department, the Oregon State Police, and the FBI for their assistance with this investigation and arrest. In addition, we would like to thank Chinook Winds Casino Security for their assistance with the investigation. While this investigation is still ongoing, we would also like to thank the community and the other law enforcement agencies for providing multiple tips that assisted us in solving this crime.
