JoCo Sheriff's Office Arrested Robbery Suspect in Muriatic Acid Incident
Josephine County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a robbery in progress Tuesday morning.
At approximately 8:40 a.m., officers arrived at Dollar General on 3625 Merlin Road. They located and took Mark Whidden into custody thanks to detailed descriptions from victims and witnesses on scene.
During the investigation, it was discovered Whidden approached the counter and advised the employee he was going to “rob them”. He then threw a cup full of a chemical, later identified as muriatic acid, on two store employees causing severe chemical burns.
Both employees stated they attempted to flee from Whidden to a nearby store restroom to decontaminate from the chemical exposure. Whidden cornered and attempted to assault the employees with a knife before being apprehended by officers.
Oregon State Police, AMR, and Rural Metro all responded to the scene and assisted in the investigation. Both victims were transported to Three Rivers Medical Center to be treated for the chemical burns.
Mark Whidden was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for First Degree Robbery, two counts each of First Degree Aggravated Assault, Menacing, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and First Degree Criminal Mischief.
Posted on 9/30/25 1:38PM by Alex Bauer
