Police respond to kidnapping report at La Grande Hampton Inn, investigation continues

A heavy police response converged on the Hampton Inn & Suites La Grande Friday morning after a guest reported being restrained, kidnapped and assaulted inside the hotel on the city’s busy I-84 corridor.

The call came in at about 9:33 a.m. on April 17, 2026. The reporting party told dispatchers the suspects were still inside a room on the hotel’s fourth floor, prompting officers from the La Grande Police Department to respond with help from the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police. The initial public notice told residents to avoid the hotel while officers worked to sort out what had happened.

La Grande Police Chief Jason Hays said officers quickly located the reporting party at the hotel and arranged transport to a local hospital. The person was treated for minor injuries. As the response unfolded, investigators also began gathering statements from additional witnesses after more people arrived at the police department with relevant information.

By the time investigators had finished their first round of interviews, Hays said all of the individuals involved had been identified. Search warrants were expected as the case moved into the evidence-gathering stage. A tactical team later cleared the room believed to be connected to the incident and found it empty.

Officials said the hotel was ultimately determined to be safe, and staff were described as cooperative and helpful. Hotel personnel also provided security camera footage that could assist investigators as they continue to piece together the case.

The incident drew attention because it unfolded in one of La Grande’s most visible commercial areas, near restaurants and just off Interstate 84. Hampton Inn & Suites La Grande, which Hilton lists as being about 2 miles from the city center, sits in a location that can affect both travelers and nearby businesses when police activity spills into the parking lot and surrounding streets.

La Grande, the county seat and largest city in Union County, is home to a county population of 26,196, according to the 2020 census. A major response in the city’s hotel corridor can therefore be felt well beyond one block, especially when multiple local and state agencies move in quickly on a report of possible violence.

Hays, who was sworn in as La Grande’s police chief on March 4 after his appointment became effective Feb. 20, said the case remained active and further updates would be released as more information became available.