Medford Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Killing Laundromat Worker After Escaping Juvenile Custody

MEDFORD, Ore. — A 20-year-old man who had escaped from an Oregon juvenile corrections center and who had a history of violent crime was sentenced to 25 years in a federal prison for a fatal shooting at a Medford laundromat in 2024.

Jesus Armando Pena Jr. was sentenced yesterday (Friday) by Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Christine Herbert, following a three-day bench trial. The judge ordered Pena to serve a minimum of 25 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Investigators Recovered 12x 9mm Shell Casings from the Laundromat Floor

According to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, the fatal shooting took place on January 27, 2024, at Weldon’s Cleaning Center in Crater Lake Avenue, Medford. When Medford Police responded to a report of gunfire, they found a laundromat worker, Justin William Keaton (51), dead from multiple gunshot wounds. They recovered 12x 9mm shell casings from the scene.

Surveillance footage showed Keaton dropping an item of clothing from a dryer that Pena was using. As Keaton bent down to retrieve the item, Pena entered the laundromat and fired repeatedly at the worker, whose back was turned.

According to the DA’s Office, Pena continued to shoot Keaton while he was on the ground. Two bullets found under Keaton’s body were consistent with Pena standing over the laundromat worker and firing downward at the prone body.

According to investigators, Pena could have become antagonistic towards Keaton after he had approached him twice while Pena was standing outside the laundromat waiting for his clothes to dry.

However, investigators could find no credible evidence that Keaton posed a threat to Pena during the encounters.

Pena was arrested in Grants Pass on January 30, 2024, and the firearm used in the shooting was recovered from a creek near his parents’ Medford home a few days later, on February 3.

At the time of the murder, Pena was an escapee from the Oregon Youth Authority and had a juvenile record of violent offenses, including assaults, in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023.