SEASIDE, Ore. — An 80-year-old Seaside man told police that he was "lucky to be alive" after being stabbed and beaten by a teenage acquaintance who stole his car late last week, according to newly filed court documents.
Law enforcement officers arrested 18-year-old Isaiah J. Thompson in Hillsboro on Tuesday evening after a manhunt that began Friday when he allegedly led officers on a high-speed chase from Seaside into Washington County.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by a Seaside detective, investigators responded to a reported stabbing a little before 1 a.m. The victim, identified as an 80-year-old Seaside man, had already been taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria — seriously injured, but conscious and breathing.
Thompson had taken the victim's 2021 Ford Mustang, according to the affidavit, which was next spotted near the junction of Highway 101 and Highway 26 by a Cannon Beach police officer. Thompson was outside of his vehicle when the officer drove up and activated his lights, but he jumped back into the car and sped away along Highway 26.
That started a pursuit that lasted about three minutes, the affidavit says, until the Cannon Beach officer lost sight of the Mustang.
Police put out an "Attempt to Locate," and a Washington County deputy soon saw the Mustang speeding eastbound at speeds of roughly 100 miles with no one in pursuit. The deputy tried to pursue as well, the affidavit says, but lost sight of the car when Thompson jumped it over some railroad tracks. Deputies later found the Mustang crashed and abandoned in Hillsboro.
Back at the junction of Highway 101 and Highway 26, a Seaside officer reported finding a black folding knife with blood on it near where the Mustang had been parked. The officer put it in a paper bag and later handed it over to the detective, according to the affidavit.
Meanwhile, investigators visited the victim in the hospital. The man had a stab wound in his chest that had punctured his lung, hospital staff told investigators, had cuts on his head, and more cuts and bruises on both arms. Dried blood covered his head, face and arms, the affidavit says.
"Although he had been given medication for pain, he stated he was still in a great amount of pain," the detective wrote. "(He) was often groaning or verbally expressing his pain."
The man told investigators that he didn't know Thompson's name at the time, but he'd met him several times prior to the attack. He'd seen Thompson at the McDonald's in Astoria and would buy the young man food. He also gave investigators a detailed description of the teen.
According to the affidavit, the victim said that he'd been at Xanadu Bar and Grill in Astoria when Thompson texted him "help" after spotting the man's Mustang parked outside. The man said Thompson asked him to buy him marijuana.
The man said he drove Thompson to his house in Seaside and offered him a beer, telling investigators that he doesn't drink. He let Thompson take a shower at his house.
"After getting dressed the suspect walked to the bottom of the stairs and (the victim) told him he would meet him down there because he needed to turn the security alarm on," the detective wrote. "(The victim) pressed the garage door opener and found the suspect waiting for him."
According to the victim's account, Thompson pulled out a knife and said "l need the keys to your car, take it off the key ring for your house." The man said he refused, telling investigators that Thompson "was escalating." He said he asked the young man if he was going to stab him and tried backing away down the driveway.
As he backed away, the victim reported offering to take the suspect to an ATM so he could give him $400, but reiterated that he wouldn't let him take the Mustang. Then, the victim said, he turned his back on the suspect "and didn't realize it at the time but believes this is when he was stabbed."
The victim said he started to walk away after that, but Thompson swung at him with a bicycle chain attached to a padlock, striking him repeatedly as he went down to his knees. The victim told investigators that he'd been hit between 20 and 30 times.
After the attack, the victim said he crawled to a neighbor's home where they called the police.
Based on the victim's description, an Astoria officer identified the suspect as Isaiah Thompson. After police put out their initial statement, the affidavit says, Thompson's mother called and said that she believed her son was the stabbing suspect and he'd "made recent threats to bash (the victim's) head in with a chain."
Throughout the day, surveillance cameras in Hillsboro captured images of Thompson, allowing detectives to confirm that he was the suspect. The victim later picked his photo out of a lineup.
When Thompson was arrested on Tuesday, the affidavit says, investigators matched his clothes to the photos and previous description, also finding a chain and padlock in his backpack.
Thompson now faces numerous charges, including second-degree attempted murder, first-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, unauthorized use of a vehicle, eluding and reckless driving.
