Man charged in armed robbery case

Deputies were called at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, when an armed suspect entered the Neskowin Market. Storeowner and operator Anthony Briggs told deputies that a white male in his 40s pointed a gun at him while attempting to rob the store.

Briggs grabbed the gun and wrestled with the suspect, taking the Smith and Wesson automatic handgun away from him during the scuffle. Briggs hit the suspect in the face, injuring his nose and causing him to release his grip on the gun. The suspect then fled the area.

Tillamook County deputies and OSP Troopers searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect that evening.

The following morning, July 14, at 6:14 a.m., a store clerk at Tillamook Sporting Goods reported a window had been broken out and the glass covering the gun counter was broken and two guns were missing. The clerk also said there was raw video footage of the robbery taken from the store's surveillance camera, in which the suspect appeared to head straight for the gun case on the north end of the store.

The clerk said the two guns taken from the case, .40- and .45-caliber semiautomatic pistols, were among about 20 other guns in the case at the time.

"If you're going to do that, why take only two pistols?" the clerk said. "The .45 was a $1,200 custom, distinct gun; it's not your everyday gun."

Tillamook Police Chief Terry Wright said police suspected McMurrin's connection to the burglary because of the video surveillance and an ongoing investigation.

"We were watching, and when he came out of his business, we arrested him," Wright said. "To start with, he matched the description. If you figure that night, there's a robbery and the suspect's weapon is taken, and a few hours later at least one weapon is taken, you start to assume there's some connection there."

One of the stolen guns was recovered following a search warrant on Tillamook Computers, police said.

Investigators also said McMurrin purchased the handgun seized from the Neskowin robbery at Tillamook Sporting Goods in 2004.

Wright also said there have been multiple victims of credit card fraud stemming from Tillamook Computers. He asked anyone who has had recent suspicious charges on a credit card from Tillamook Computers to contact him at 503-842-2522.

McMurrin's bail has been set for $100,000. He next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, July 21.