Eugene man arrested after manhunt in kidnapping, sexual-assault case

A Eugene man accused in a kidnapping and sexual-assault case was arrested after deputies tracked him down at his workplace southwest of Eugene, ending a manhunt that had drawn in Lane County Sheriff’s detectives and local law enforcement.

The suspect, 37-year-old Jeremy Allen Johnson of Eugene, was taken into custody after investigators received information on May 28 that led them to identify him in the case. Deputies located Johnson and his vehicle at his place of employment southwest of Eugene, then arrested him and lodged him at the Lane County Jail.

Authorities said the investigation began on May 26, when detectives started looking into the reported sexual assault. During the search for Johnson, investigators described him as a bald white male about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build and visible tattoos on his legs. They also said he had been last seen driving a dark-colored crossover-style car with Oregon license plates.

Johnson faces multiple charges, including first-degree sodomy, first-degree kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon, coercion and menacing. The arrest came after the search had already spread beyond a routine criminal complaint and into a more urgent public-safety operation, with deputies asking residents to help identify the suspect.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office said there is no ongoing threat to the community, though detectives said the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 541-682-4150.

The case adds to a series of serious violent-crime investigations that can quickly unsettle neighborhoods and workplaces across Eugene and Lane County, especially when a suspect is believed to be local. In this instance, authorities said the suspect was identified and apprehended before the search widened further, bringing an immediate law-enforcement response to a close even as the underlying investigation continued.