Portland Woman Assaulted For Being Gay

Sheriff's detectives want to hear from anyone who witnessed the attack or recognizes someone fitting the description of the suspect.

Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Police in Portland say a 20-year-old woman was attacked Tuesday and beaten because of her sexual orientation. Sgt. Dave Thompson with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, says the victim was walking on SW 174th Avenue in Aloha when she was attacked by a white male.

"The man initially asked her for a cigarette, but became angry when he learned her sexual orientation. The man threw her to the ground and struck her several times with a rock. The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries."

Thompson says the woman told deputies that at about 6:00 PM, she was walking east on SW 174th Avenue in Aloha.

"At the intersection of SW Alexander Street, she noticed a man following her. After a short time, the man called out to her and asked her for a cigarette. The woman told the suspect that she didn't smoke. He then asked her if she was gay, and she told him that she was gay."

The suspect became angry and told the woman "that was disgusting and she was going to hell," according to Thompson.

He says the suspect became confrontational and proceeded to push the victim to the ground. The victim got up and swung at the suspect, but he hit her in the face causing her to again fall to the ground.

"At that time, the suspect jumped on the victim as she was face down. He held her down and began striking her in the face and head with a rock and his fists. The victim was eventually able to get free and she ran away from the suspect. The victim was transported to the hospital by a friend where she received treatment for injuries sustained in the attack."

The victim told deputies that she had never seen the man who attacked her. She described him as a young man between the ages of 16 and 22 with a baby face, 6- feet tall with a slender build. He has very large and pronounced ears. He was wearing a zipped up dark jacket with a white T-shirt underneath it, dark jeans, and black "skater" type shoes on.

Sheriff's detectives are requesting that anyone who witnessed this unprovoked attack or recognizes someone fitting the description of the suspect, please call Detective Andy Hays at 503-846-2500.