The two suspects arrested after the Hobby Lobby lockdown Wednesday have now been formally charged in connection with the incident.
Lyon County Attorney Marc Goodman says Jose Omar Avelar Martinez, 24, of Guymon, Oklahoma, faces charges of aggravated assault, possession of drugs, possession of drugs with intent to distribute and felon in possession of a weapon.
Jennifer Guerrero, 18, also of Guymon, has been charged with drug possession.
Court documents, including the affidavit and complaint, have not been released by Lyon County District Court. Goodman says a first court appearance date is unlikely until next week.
Guerrero and Martinez were arrested near Eureka around 5 pm Wednesday, roughly two hours after the Hobby Lobby store at 24th and Industrial went into lockdown mode for close to 60 minutes. Lockdowns at Hobby Lobby and three nearby schools — Emporia High School, Emporia Middle School and Timmerman Elementary — developed after two Candlewood Suites housekeepers were allegedly forced off a nearby road by the suspects and then went to the store, reportedly saying Martinez had a gun. Martinez and Guerrero had checked out of the hotel Wednesday, but returned after saying they had left an item, reportedly a prescription medication, in their room.
Stay with KVOE and KVOE.com for updates as this case continues to develop.
9:45 am Thursday: EPD credits training, partnerships for quick arrests after Hobby Lobby lockdown
As the investigation continues into Wednesday’s lockdown at Emporia’s Hobby Lobby store, Emporia Police leadership say they are grateful the situation did not turn out as first reported and they say ongoing training efforts worked smoothly.
Police arrested 18-year-old Jennifer Guerrero and 24-year-old Jose Omar Avelar Martinez, both of Guymon, Oklahoma, on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, possession of depressants with intent to sell and felony possession of drug paraphernalia. Martinez was also booked on suspicion of charges including felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated assault, and aggravated criminal threat.
Deputy Police Chief Ed Owens says there are several kinds of calls officers never want to hear. One is for an active shooter, and that’s what he got as officers attended the annual Lyon County Sheriff’s Office Spring Training seminar.
The other is for national media requesting information, and Owens says numerous outlets — local, state and national — deluged the Emergency Communications Center with calls.
The incident was first reported as a crash into the store with people fleeing to the back of the store, but the police investigation revealed another potentially troubling component. Two housekeepers at Candlewood Suites, where Guerrero and Martinez stayed Tuesday night before leaving in a huff after reportedly leaving prescription medications in their room, went to Hobby Lobby after being forced off a nearby street by the suspects, who reportedly were displaying a handgun in the process. They also reportedly yelled, “He’s got a gun,” leading to automatic concerns about an active shooter situation.
So far, there are no indications of shots fired, either in the store or on the property. Authorities say they discovered a gun, ammunition and illicit drugs inside the suspect pickup.
Owens credited a number of local and area agencies for their work to resolve this case as it developed.
Owens also credited the work of the Lyon County Emergency Communications Center for fielding and reporting information coming in as well as filtering out questions for information, including those from the public and media outlets.
At this time, formal charges are pending through the Lyon County Attorney’s Office. Affidavits may be presented for County Attorney Marc Goodman’s review by the end of the day Thursday, depending on the investigation.
KVOE News has reached out to Hobby Lobby’s corporate office for comment after Wednesday’s incident. KVOE has also reached out to the Emporia Public Schools administrative office after short lockdowns at Emporia High, Emporia Middle School and Timmerman Elementary.
We’ll keep you posted with further developments on KVOE and KVOE.com.
