Mount Angel Police Chief Mark Daniel said there are “no active threats to the community” as authorities search for a suspect in the Jan. 1 fatal shooting of a local resident.
Agustin Barocio, 42, has been accused of killing Brandon Slack, 42, both of Mount Angel, and is the subject of a no-bail warrant on charges including second-degree murder with a firearm.
As of press time Barocio remained at large, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Daniel told Our Town Barocio is not considered a risk to the community because Slack was believed to be his only target.
“This was not a random act,” said Daniel. “This was specifically focused… There’s no danger to the community.”
Daniel said he could not provide additional details because the investigation was ongoing. He said Marion County has taken the lead as it has greater resources for a murder investigation and will provide future updates.
Those with information on Barocio’s whereabouts are encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 503-584-6211, or Crime Stoppers of Oregon at crimestoppersoforegon.com. Crime Stoppers tips can be anonymous and may be eligible for a $2,500 reward.
Barocio allegedly shot Slack just before 6 a.m. Jan. 1 at a residence on N. Pershing Street near W. Marquam Street in Mount Angel. He allegedly fled the scene before authorities arrived. First responders found Slack with serious injuries; he died at the scene after life-saving efforts were attempted.
Charges filed against Barocio Jan. 2 In Marion County Circuit Court accused him of also holding a woman against her will at gunpoint in an act of domestic violence during the same incident.
In addition to murder, Barocio was charged with first-degree kidnapping constituting domestic violence, unlawful use of a weapon constituting domestic violence, and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces at least 25 years and up to life in prison.
According to court records, Barocio has an extensive criminal history involving numerous arrests for violent and drug-related offenses since 1999 in Marion, Clackamas, and Polk counties. This includes an arrest in 2019 for alleged domestic assault involving the same female victim as the Jan. 1 incident.
Barocio was most recently sentenced to 30 months in prison in 2020 for a probation violation after being convicted in 2018 for threatening two men with a firearm. He had violated his probation after being found guilty in 2020 of possessing methamphetamine.
– Stephen Floyd
