PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland police are reminding residents to lock their doors at night after two suspects in three days entered Southeast Portland homes through unlocked doors and sexually assaulted women inside.
The two cases are not connected, police say.
"It appears both the incidents were stranger on stranger," said Portland Police Sgt. Chris Burley. "Not common but still it's important for us to talk about that in both incidents the suspects made entry through an unlocked door."
Early Wednesday morning, Joseph W. Green Jr., 30, entered a home in the 2700 block of Southeast 17th Avenue through an unlocked door around 12:50 a.m. Wednesday, according to police. Both residents of the home were asleep.
Green attacked and raped one of the residents, a 76-year-old woman, police said. The other resident, the woman's daughter, who was upstairs, woke up and fought Green off until he left the home.
"I couldn't think of anything but getting down there and attacking whoever was attacking my mom," said Ingrid Renan, the victim's daughter.
The residents called 911, and responding officers found Green near Southeast 15th Avenue and Clay Street. They took him into custody without further incident and brought him to the Multnomah County Jail. Green faces charges of first-degree rape, strangulation, fourth-degree assault and burglary.
The victim, Barbara Stross, spoke to KGW's Mike Benner. She said the attack "felt like an eternity."
"I felt something on the bed and thought for a minute an animal got in and jumped on the bed," she said. "It's scary but we're lucky [my daughter] was home and heard me."
On Monday, 39-year-old man Damascus Menefee was arrested after he entered an apartment on Southeast 162nd Avenue and Stark Street through an unlocked door and sexually assaulted a teenage girl.
Note: KGW doesn't usually name the victims of sexual assault, but in this case the victim chose to release her name and speak about the incident with KGW.