A man in Portland was detained twice within a week on charges of unprovoked assault, including an attack on a 69-year-old woman. This came after he had been released following the first incident, as reported by police.
The first incident happened on the morning of November 25, 2025, when a 21-year-old man said he was unexpectedly struck in the face by a stranger.
The suspect, 24-year-old Santos Puertorios, was arrested and taken to Multnomah County Jail for fourth-degree assault but was later released.
A few days later, authorities learned of another incident on the same day.
On November 28, a family member of the elderly woman informed police that she was assaulted outside her home on November 25. Reports indicated that an unknown man had approached her and punched her without any provocation before fleeing.
Detectives were able to identify Puertorios as the assailant, but no updates were provided regarding the woman’s current condition.
Following the attack, the woman’s granddaughter took to social media to seek help in identifying the attacker.
She wrote, “I need help identifying this man. He hit my grandmother for no reason and ran away. She now has deep bruises from the fall.”
Puertorios was arrested again on December 2, also on fourth-degree assault charges. Authorities noted that both assaults appeared random, with possible additional charges pending.
After the second arrest, the granddaughter expressed gratitude for the community’s support.
She shared, “To everyone following the story of my grandmother being assaulted… today the police arrested him! One week later! That same day we found out he had assaulted another man. Thank you for your support and help!!”
This case brought attention to the practices of Multnomah County regarding pre-trial releases, raising concerns about why Puertorios was let go after his first arrest.
District Attorney Nathan Vasquez explained that his office had requested Puertorios be kept in custody, citing a probable cause affidavit filed for that purpose. However, Puertorios was released before a judge could review the situation.
Vasquez described it as a frustrating example of flaws in Oregon law, noting that the release created an opportunity for further harm. He also mentioned that Puertorios failed to show up for a scheduled court appearance, complicating the judicial process.
The Portland Police Bureau extended their thoughts to the victims and urged anyone with relevant information about the assaults to reach out to investigators.
