PORTLAND, Ore. — A suspect in an anti-Asian attack earlier this month in Southeast Portland is facing new charges for a second, unrelated bias crime in April.
On Tuesday, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted Dylan Kesterson on a total of 19 counts — including charges of bias crime, assault and harassment. The charges stem from the two separate incidents, one of which has not been publicly detailed by prosecutors or police.
On July 2, the Portland Police Bureau arrested Kesterson after he allegedly yelled anti-Asian slurs, then attacked a father and his 5-year old daughter, both of Japanese descent, as they were riding a bike on the Eastbank Esplanade.
Both of the victims were wearing bicycle helmets at the time and neither required medical attention at the scene, police said.
“He hit my head more than 50 times,” the father told KGW in an email last week.
While Kesterson was arrested for these alleged crimes almost immediately after they happened, Tuesday's indictment includes charges for a similar bias crime that allegedly occurred on April 17, for which he had not been previously arrested or charged. He is accused of racially intimidating one woman, racially intimidating and assaulting a second woman, and harassing a third.
After his July 2 arrest, Kesterson's case drew further attention because he was released from jail almost immediately. The court determined that he presented a low level of threat to the community due to a lack of known criminal history. He was taken back into custody a few days later after failing to appear for a court hearing.
Kesterson, 34, was arraigned on Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court. He entered a not guilty plea and is scheduled to return to court on August 24.
