Assault Victim Critically Injured in the Old Town Neighborhood, Suspect Arrested for Attempted Murder

On Friday, May 22, 2026 at 6:07 p.m., Portland Police Officers assigned to Central Precinct were notified of a report of an injured woman on a sidewalk in the 700 block of Northwest Naito Parkway in the Old Town Neighborhood. All officers in the precinct were working on other calls at the time, and no officers were immediately available to respond. Emergency medical services (EMS), including Portland Fire & Rescue and AMR, responded and began treatment of the patient. According to dispatch logs, at 6:11 p.m., two Officers and a Sergeant cleared from their calls at started that way and began arriving at 6:16 p.m.

An initial investigation revealed that the woman had been assaulted with a blunt instrument and that the suspect had left the scene. Paramedics transported the victim to the hospital by ambulance with critical, life-threatening injuries. Officers established a crime scene and closed Northwest Naito Parkway to ensure that the scene could be documented and evidence collected.

Due to the seriousness of the case, Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit and the Homicide Unit were called in to investigate.

The investigation revealed that the suspect, Roberto M. Velasquez, 64, of Portland, had gone into a nearby apartment. Officers surrounded the apartment and secured the scene while Detectives applied for a search warrant. The Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) also were called in.

When challenged by police, the suspect surrendered to SERT officers at 11:29 p.m. At 2:42 a.m., Velasquez was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

The victim remains in the hospital and her injuries are still considered life-threatening.

This is still an active investigation. If anyone has information about this case, saw what happened before or during the assault, has evidence or video footage, and has not already spoken to police, please Submit a Tip.

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