HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 20, 2023, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Eric Butterfield sentenced Jeremy Christopher Yandle, age 45, to 175 months in prison. This sentence comes after the defendant was convicted of four counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree. Deputy District Attorney Rayney Meisel prosecuted the case against Mr. Yandle.
In August of 2021, the defendant was released from prison after serving a sentence for convictions in Multnomah County for Arson in the First Degree and Manufacturing a Destructive Device. The mother of the two young victims allowed the defendant, whom she had previously known, to move into their home so she could help him get back on his feet. While living in the home, Mr. Yandle, who was already a registered sex offender from a previous conviction, molested two minor children multiple times over several months.
Once the girls reported the abuse the defendant fled the home. Police were unable to locate him until June of 2022 when he was arrested in Multnomah County for attacking and stabbing a stranger outside of a grocery store. Investigators with the Tigard Police Department confronted the defendant about the sex abuse allegations. He admitted to inappropriate touching but said he did not think a young girl touched by an older man would be harmed.
At the sentencing hearing, DDA Meisel described Mr. Yandle as a “highly dangerous person.” DDA Meisel told the court that the defendant is “violent, manipulative, unpredictable, and predatory.” She added that the defendant “took advantage of the one person who was willing to show him kindness and he has shown no remorse for his actions.”
The victim’s mother, who is currently battling cancer, also addressed the court at the hearing. She expressed her grief, feelings of betrayal, and lamented the challenges her daughters will now have to face as they come to terms with the abuse.
The prison sentence handed down by Judge Butterfield will run in addition to the 70-month prison sentence the defendant received in Multnomah County.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victims and their loved ones for their strength and bravery throughout the legal process. This office also acknowledges the work of Tigard police and CARES Northwest.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 21, 2023, Jesse D Holt pleaded guilty to one count of Burglary in the First Degree with the intent to commit Sex Abuse. Judge Eric Buchér sentenced the defendant to 41 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Alyssa Camp prosecuted the case.
On June 2, 2023, the defendant smashed a window and broke into a home in Hillsboro, Oregon. The homeowners had just put their two young children to bed. One of the victims heard a noise but didn’t realize anything was wrong until she saw the defendant coming up the stairs towards her bedroom. She began screaming as the defendant approached her in her bed, at which point her husband made his presence known and chased the defendant from the home.
The victims found the broken window and saw that the defendant prepared his escape by unlocking their back door. He used that door to exit the house and then fled the area. A home surveillance camera captured the defendant ringing the doorbell just before he broke the window.
Investigators used that footage to circulate a photo of the defendant to area law enforcement. A detective with the Beaverton Police Department recognized Mr. Holt. The victims later confirmed he was the person who broke into their home. Officers arrested the defendant at his mother’s home. After a search, they found the same clothing he used in the burglary in the defendant’s laundry.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Hillsboro Police Department on this case. Mr. Holt will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 16, 2023, Braeden Richard Riess was sentenced for the federal felony crime of Interstate Communication of a Threat. U.S. Chief District Court Judge Marco A. Hernández sentenced the defendant to the seven months he served in the Washington County Jail, ordered him to participate in a mental health treatment program, and required the defendant to serve three years of federal supervised release.
In May of 2022, a federal agency alerted the Sherwood Police Department that it received threats via its website from the defendant. Mr. Riess threatened to shoot children at an elementary school in Sherwood and said he would commit suicide after the shooting. Mr. Riess was arrested and authorities notified parents at the school.
The case was originally referred to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. On May 17, 2022, the defendant was arraigned on six counts of Disorderly Conduct in the First Degree, the maximum available charge under Oregon law. However, because Oregon law does not provide sufficient means to address threats of mass violence, this office reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to refer the case for federal prosecution.
Oregon law does not provide adequate means to address threats of mass violence to public places such as schools or places of worship. District Attorney Kevin Barton has worked with Representative Courtney Neron and multiple other state lawmakers over the years to remedy the issue. In 2020, DA Barton collaborated with lawmakers to craft HB 4145 which sought to close this gap in Oregon law. However, despite broad support, that bill did not become law. In 2023, DA Barton worked with lawmakers to craft HB 3035, but that bill also did not become law.
Currently, DA Barton and Representative Neron are working on another bill to bring this issue once again before the legislature in the upcoming 2024 legislative session. DA Barton encourages concerned community members to contact their respective state lawmakers to voice their support for a legislative fix to this issue.
“I am grateful for the assistance in this case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to keep our Washington County community safe,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton. “Now we must ensure that lawmakers act without delay to fix the gap in Oregon law so that we can send a clear message that threats of mass harm to locations such as schools and places of worship will not be tolerated.”
The office wishes to acknowledge the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon for its willingness to take on this case. This office also thanks the Sherwood Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Sherwood School District for their efforts to keep students safe and parents informed.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 17, 2023, a Washington County jury found Rosario Reginal Jumpingbull guilty of six counts of Robbery in the First Degree with a Firearm, Aggravated Theft in the First Degree with a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm with a Firearm. On November 20, 2023, Judge Ricardo Menchaca sentenced the defendant to 270 months in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard prosecuted this case.
On July 14, 2022, the defendant and an accomplice drove from Portland, Oregon to Tigard to commit an armed robbery at a pawn shop. The defendant entered the business while wearing a mask and immediately pulled out a gun. He pointed the weapon at the three employees inside at the time and demanded they give him cash. Prior to the robbery, the defendant received information from a pawn shop employee about where a large amount of cash was stored and security measures that were in place. One employee described that the defendant “knew where he was going.” The victims complied with the defendant’s demands, and he fled the store with a large amount of cash.
Mr. Jumpingbull’s accomplice drove them away from the scene. A nearby driver’s dashboard camera captured footage of the vehicle as they fled the area. Investigators with the Tigard Police Department were able to read the license plate and linked the vehicle to the driver. They learned she was associated with Mr. Jumpingbull and confirmed he was involved in the armed robbery. Officers then secured a warrant for the defendant’s arrest.
On August 17, 2022, the Portland Police Bureau arrested Mr. Jumpingbull in downtown Portland. A short vehicle pursuit and foot chase ensued before officers arrested the defendant. Officers found a handgun inside the vehicle as well as items linking the defendant to his accomplice.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Tigard Police Department and the Portland Police Bureau on this case.
Mr. Jumpingbull will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 17, 2023, a Washington County jury found Shaun Edwin Maki guilty of Murder, three counts of Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and two counts of Criminal Mistreatment in the First Degree. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski and Deputy District Attorney Bryce Bissinger prosecuted the case against the defendant before Judge Oscar Garcia.
The defendant, age 53 at the time of the attack, lived with the victim, his father, age 77 at the time, at a home on NW 185th Ave. in rural Washington County near Bethany. The victim was in poor health, was thin and frail, and was suffering from the onset of dementia. On March 1, 2018, the defendant became angry with his father and violently attacked him with a wooden shovel handle. The assault left the victim with a brain bleed, multiple broken bones, and lying in a pool of his own blood.
The next day, the defendant took the time to clean the shovel and to drive to multiple stores to purchase his preferred type of beer. When he finally called 9-1-1, he told operators that his father had hit himself with a stick. First responders were horrified by what they found when they were dispatched to the home on March 2, 2018. They rushed the victim to the hospital where he spent the next two days in a coma. He died in June of 2018 as a result of his injuries.
The defendant later told investigators that he and his father were the only people in the home at the time of the attack and that he waited so long to call for help because he was worried about the cost of an ambulance.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of Detective Brad Verboort and the Washington County Sheriff's Office on this case, as well as the firefighters and paramedics of Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 19, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. The defendant will remain in custody until sentencing.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 9, 2023, Raymond Andrew Hanners pleaded guilty to Bias Crime in the Second Degree and Assault in the Third Degree. His co-defendant, Damion Leigh Sherk, pleaded guilty to Assault in the Third Degree. Both defendants were sentenced by Judge Theodore Sims. Mr. Hanners was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and ordered to submit to anger and mental health evaluations and no contact with the victim. Judge Sims ordered a 30-day jail sanction if he violates his probation conditions. Mr. Sherk was also placed on three years of supervised probation, ordered to submit to an anger evaluation, and sentenced to 10 days in the Washington County Jail. Deputy District Attorney Christina Luedtke prosecuted this case.
Mr. Hanners and Mr. Sherk are family members and lived together at an apartment complex in Tigard, Oregon. The victim was their neighbor. On October 10, 2022, the victim, who is African American, parked his car at the complex and began walking into his apartment. Mr. Hanners stood on his front porch and attempted to provoke the victim by directing racial slurs towards him. The victim approached Mr. Hanners to ask why he was speaking to him in this manner. At that point, Mr. Sherk ran out from inside the apartment and began assaulting the victim. Mr. Hanners joined in the attack which continued throughout the parking lot. Bystanders eventually intervened and called law enforcement.
Mr. Hanners admitted to officers that he used racial slurs leading up to the assault. The incident was also recorded by security cameras. The assault left the victim with multiple injuries.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting all members of our community from hate and bias. This office leads the Washington County Bias Crime Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). The MDT consists of members from law enforcement agencies and community partner organizations from across Washington County. Victims of bias crimes are urged to report incidents to law enforcement so that they can be properly investigated and prosecuted. Victims can also utilize the Bias Response Hotline operated by the Oregon Department of Justice.
The Washington County District Attorney’s Office also acknowledges the work of the Tigard Police Department on this case.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 14, 2023, Washington County agreed to accept $300,000 in additional grant funds awarded to the DA’s Office from the United States Department of Justice (US DOJ) under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program Grant. This is a competitive grant award intended to increase the capacity of state and local prosecution offices to combat bias crime in their communities.
The Washington County DA’s Office was awarded an initial $300,000 from this grant in October 2021. That original funding allowed the DA’s Office to launch a Washington County Bias Crime Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and support victim advocate positions dedicated to serving bias crime victims. The MDT has since been working collaboratively with local law enforcement and community partners to develop strategies to reduce hate crime. These strategies involve trainings, education, and outreach efforts. However, the MDT recognizes the pressing need to increase public attention to this important issue.
In September 2023, based on the early success of the bias crime MDT, the DA’s Office was invited to apply for additional funding from US DOJ to expand its work. With this added funding, the DA’s Office will enhance its public engagement and education efforts by hiring an outreach coordinator. This coordinator will work with the MDT to implement outreach and education efforts in our community aimed at bias crime prevention.
“We are pleased to accept this additional grant funding that will allow us to increase our efforts to combat bias and hate crimes in our community,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton. “These additional resources come at a time when we need to do all we can to ensure everyone in our community feels safe and protected.”
The MDT recently hosted the inaugural Washington County Bias Crime Symposium. This specialized training brought together more than 50 members of various law enforcement agencies and community organizations to learn about the most effective ways to promote bias crime intervention and response. This is just one example of this grant funding at work in an effort to improve community safety.
HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 3, 2023, a Washington County jury found James Andrew Dewhurst guilty of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm and Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andrew Freeman and Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver prosecuted the case against the defendant before Judge Theodore Sims.
In the early morning hours of August 30, 2021, Mr. Dewhurst called a suicide hotline to report he was armed with a firearm and was going to kill himself. He also stated he intended to fight law enforcement. An officer with the Beaverton Police Department spoke with the defendant at length over the phone in an effort to help him. During his conversations with law enforcement, the defendant disclosed that he murdered his roommate.
Officers convinced the defendant to exit his apartment building where he was taken into custody without incident. Officers searched the apartment and found the victim, Rocky Marciano Harkins (age 43), deceased from a single, close-range gunshot wound. Officers also found the defendant’s two Glock handguns and his AR-15 rifle, which was lying on his bed along with a tactical vest containing several loaded rifle magazines with more than 150 rounds of ammunition. The defendant assembled this weaponry in the hours between when he shot Mr. Harkins and when he called the suicide hotline, in apparent preparation for a gunfight with police.
The defendant testified at length that he shot Mr. Harkins in self-defense, a claim the jury rejected after about three hours of deliberation. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of Beaverton Police Department personnel on this case including the investigative efforts of lead Detective Maggie Brown.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 1, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. The defendant will remain in custody pending sentencing.