Salem man with 47 arrests gets 12 years after robbing driver and crashing stolen car

SALEM Ore. (KPTV) – A Salem man was sentenced Friday to a total of 12 and a half years for kidnapping, multiple robberies and stealing cars, according to the Marion Co. Dist. Law firm.

On Tuesday, Christopher Cortez Tolbert was found guilty by a Marion County jury of first-degree robbery, second-degree kidnapping and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in connection with a February 2024 case. Tolbert also pleaded guilty to fleeing a police officer, running from an accident and resisting arrest.

According to the district attorney’s office, the victim was driving in Salem on the night of Feb. 9, 2024. When the victim stopped his car at a stop sign, Tolbert, then 32, climbed in through the passenger door. Tolbert pointed a screwdriver at the victim and told him, “Go.”

The victim said he drove Tolbert around Salem for 10 to 15 minutes before Tolbert had the victim stop and change seats. Once Tolbert was driving the car, the victim asked Tolbert to let him go, but Tolbert refused.

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The victim said Tolbert held the screwdriver in his hand the entire time he drove.

After a few hours, Tolbert drove the victim to Polk County, near the Premier RV Resort, where he demanded the victim give him $3,000.

The victim refused.

Tolbert broke the victim’s phone and took a chain, wallet and identification from the victim before letting him leave.

The victim found a night security guard at Premier RV, who called police.

Shortly afterwards, two Keizer Police Department officers tried to pull Tolbert over, but he ran away in the victim’s car. As officers pursued him, Tolbert lost control of the car and crashed into another vehicle. He then tried to run away on foot, but was caught and arrested about an hour after the victim first contacted police.

Tolbert was arrested by Salem police about an hour later after he drove away from two Keizer Police Department officers in the victim’s car at a high rate of speed.

Police said Tolbert resisted arrest when he was caught, and officers also said they found the victim’s IDs in Tolbert’s pocket and a screwdriver in his backpack.

Following Tolbert’s guilty verdict on Tuesday in the February 2024 case, Marion County Circuit Court Judge Audrey Broyles sentenced Tolbert to 90 months in prison on Friday.

The district attorney’s office said Tolbert also received an additional 61 months for separate counts involving third-degree robbery, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and fleeing a police officer.

At the time of his arrest, Tolbert had been arrested 47 times and had several prior convictions.