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Tag: Multnomah County DA

  • “Serial Rapist” Pleads Guilty To Portland Attacks – KXL

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    Damani Anderson’s mugshot was released in 2024, as Portland Police sought more victims during the initial investigation.

    Portland, Ore. – A 20-year-old Portland man pleaded guilty Friday to multiple sexual assaults. Prosecutors say the horrific case should serve as a warning to others. 

    Damani Anderson’s victims were between the ages of 13 and 19, “Young women that were brutally, brutally assaulted by him,” says Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez. Investigators know of five victims, but Vasquez says there may be more. “He purposely preyed on these young women,” Vasquez adds, “A firearm was used. Their lives were threatened. They were secluded in dangerous areas; I know these victims believed that they were going to die.” He says Anderson’s crimes started before he turned 18. Most of the attacks occurred in North Portland.

    The investigation began in 2024, after a victim – in a state of undress – ran from her attacker to a nearby home. “She sought out strangers to help her, because she was in such horrific distress,” says Vasquez, “Based upon the investigation, we started to uncover multiple other victims. I’m so thankful that we were able to intervene and stop the conduct. I just wish we could’ve done it sooner.”

    Anderson met most of his victims online, through social media and dating apps, where Vasquez says, “People can pretend to be anyone they want.” He urges people starting a relationship online to take precautions, “You really don’t know what you get until, I think, you have an opportunity to meet with them and start to understand who they are.” He says online dating is often safe, but encourages people to create a safety plan before getting together in-person, “Meet in public, don’t go to secluded areas. Make sure your friends and family know where you are.”

    Vasquez says Anderson’s plea deal ensures the victims aren’t re-traumatized by a trial. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday; he’s expected to get 45 years in prison.

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    Heather Roberts

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  • Multnomah Co. Burg Task Force Investigates Rash Of Bike Thefts From Apartments – KXL

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    Two men are seen on video surveillance breaking into storage units inside a local apartment complex. The Multnomah Co. DA asks for the public’s help identifying a second suspect.

    Portland, Ore. – A Portland man faces dozens of counts of burglary and other charges, related to a string of break-ins at apartment and condo complexes. Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez says the suspect is accused of breaking into storage rooms and taking numerous bikes, leading to big losses for both the owners of the bikes and the buildings, “This is an individual that’s using a crowbar to just damage these doors and do a really forced entry to gain access. And then, various cutting devices to cut locks.” Vasquez adds, “This is a huge issue. This is why we brought forth the Burglary Task Force. There’s somewhat of a perception that burglaries are down, but I’m more of a believer there is a lack of reporting because there was a lack of faith in our system in years past.”

    Christopher McGinnis was indicted last week following months of investigation by the DA’s new task force. “We have 43 different counts,” says Vasquez, “So I think it is a testament to the wide-ranging victimization within our community.” According to court documents, investigators believe McGinnis broke into three complexes multiple times over three months; in at least one case, changing clothes and returning several times on the same day. “He’s taking really anything he can get his hands on and has access to,” says Deputy DA Alex Garcia, “He is taking the e-bikes – that seems to be his most prized type of bike.”

    Garcia says surveillance footage led to his arrest, but another person of interest appears on one of the videos, “Portland Police and our partners in the Burglary Task Force are seeking to identify this second person. He’s active on one of the condos.” Click HERE to view surveillance video released Monday by the DA’s office. Anyone with information on this or other relevant cases is asked to contact the Burglary Task Force at: [email protected]

    McGinnis was arraigned on the indictment last week and is due back in court in mid-January.

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    Heather Roberts

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  • Multnomah County Launches Burglary Task Force – KXL

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    Multnomah County DA Nathan Vasquez announces the formation of a multi-agency burglary task force, alongside local law enforcement leaders; 11/19/2025.
    Photo: Heather Roberts

    Portland, Ore. – The most populated county in Oregon also has the highest rates of property crime. But Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez hopes a new multi-agency burglary task force will work to bring that number down through a collaborative and data-driven approach. “This is going to be a regional partnership that’s going to bring together the law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and investigative specialists and will be working, dedicated, with businesses that are affected by this issue,” Vasquez told reporters Wednesday, adding small businesses are most often the targets, “This isn’t just the financial losses, which are important. There’s really a huge emotional and operational toll that is taken on these businesses when they have to come in in the morning and see that their front window is smashed out, their merchandise is gone.”

    Portland Police, Gresham Police, Port of Portland Police and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will all assign detectives to the task force, along with prosecutors from the DA’s office. “This is a dedicated group of individuals that will be routinely getting together,” says Vasquez, “One agency will bring in a case, and then another agency will say, ‘hey; I have something similar.’ So we’ll be doing that cross-jurisdictional work.”

    Portland Police Chief Bob Day says he’s assigning a sergeant and three investigators, “It’s not lost on me that Portland has the lion’s share of that. That’s why we’re coming into this committed with the resources that we have.” The task force is modeled after recent efforts to crack down on both retail and car theft through sharing data and information.

    Vasquez acknowledges burglary rates have come down over the past year in most of those jurisdictions, but says it’s not happening fast enough, “Our property crime rates, quite frankly, put us at a rate that I don’t think anyone is happy with, which is we are sometimes listed in the bottom.”

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    Heather Roberts

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  • Backpage.com Trafficking Victims Eligible For Federal Compensation – KXL

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    Robin Miller and SDDA JR Ujifusa stand with more than 1,200 notices to be mailed to sex trafficking survivors. Oct. 10, 2025

    Portland, Ore. – A local district attorney’s office takes the unique step to notify human trafficking survivors they may be entitled to federal compensation.

    Federal investigators shut down Backpage.com in 2018. For 14 years, the elicit website facilitated commercial sex and human trafficking. JR Ujifusa supervises the human trafficking team at the Multnomah County DA’s office. “In order to advertise, or to sell someone on their website, you would have to pay. It started out as cash, and it moved to Bitcoin,” says Ujifusa, “When the FBI and the federal government shut down Backpage, they seized their assets.”

    That money is now available to survivors through the U.S. Department of Justice Backpage Remission Program. “I’m glad that their money is going back into the hands of those that they did that to, that they harmed,” says survivor-turned-advocate Robin Miller. 

    The Multnomah County DA’s office is sending letters and applications to people involved in previous cases. “Through searching our databases, we have identified over 1,200 individuals that we believe may have been exploited, may have been used on Backpage.com, either as minors or adults,” says Ujifusa.  Miller asks, “How many of these envelopes are representative of children who were bought and sold on Backpage?” She adds, “I want to remind everybody why Backpage was shut down: They were selling children. And men were buying children, and women and vulnerable populations off the website for years.”

    The DOJ estimates more than $200 million are available for victims across the country. Survivors and their families have until February to apply for the money either online or through the mail. 

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    Heather Roberts

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