Edwin Enoc Lara, 31, of Redmond, Oregon, is facing federal charges after being indicted for armed carjacking, kidnapping, and brandishing a firearm during a violent cross-state crime spree in July 2016. The indictment, handed down November 16, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon, ties Lara to the forcible taking of a woman’s vehicle in Salem and her subsequent abduction to California at gunpoint.
According to court documents, Lara allegedly used a firearm to seize control of the victim’s car, then kidnapped her and drove her across state lines—crossing into Siskiyou County, California. The ordeal, marked by terror and coercion, forms the basis of the two federal firearm counts, each carrying a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in prison if convicted. The carjacking charge alone could bring 15 years; the kidnapping charge, 20.
Lara is currently locked up in Deschutes County, Oregon, where he’s already facing state-level aggravated murder charges in connection with the death of Kaylee Sawyer. Authorities have not linked that case directly to the federal indictment, but the timeline and pattern of violence have raised red flags among investigators tracking his criminal history.
In parallel, Siskiyou County, California, has filed separate state charges against Lara, including attempted murder and assault—further painting a picture of a fugitive spiraling through a violent rampage across the Pacific Northwest. Law enforcement sources describe the period as a dangerous escalation in Lara’s behavior, marked by unpredictability and armed confrontations.
The FBI is leading the federal investigation, working alongside the Redmond Police Department, Bend Police, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and multiple California law enforcement agencies. The multi-jurisdictional effort underscores the severity and reach of the crimes, as well as the urgency in bringing Lara to justice across state lines.
Assistant United States Attorney Nathan J. Lichvarcik is prosecuting the federal case. As of now, Lara remains in custody and is presumed innocent on all federal counts until proven guilty. But with a trail of blood, bullets, and broken lives stretching from Salem to Siskiyou County, the weight of evidence may prove impossible to outrun.
Related Federal Cases
- Edwin Lara Gets Second Life Sentence for Kidnapping, Carjacking · Oregon
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- Trafficker Nabbed: WA Jury Convicts Man in Coast-to-Coast Sex Scheme · Washington
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Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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