PORTLAND, Ore. — Federal prosecutors took over the case involving an unprovoked attack on the top Japanese diplomat in Oregon. Yoshioka Yuzo, the Consul General for Portland’s Consular Office of Japan, was pushed to the ground by a stranger on June 17 in downtown Portland. The 62-year-old diplomat suffered a cut to his head after hitting the pavement.
On Aug. 15, a federal grand jury indicted Arissa Robinson for the crime. The 23-year-old is charged with assault on a foreign official and internationally protected person.
The secret indictment was unsealed earlier this week following Robinson's arraignment in federal court. A two-day trial is set for Oct. 10.
Multnomah County prosecutors dismissed state charges of felony bias crime and fourth-degree assault because the case will be prosecuted federally.
Court records suggest the unprovoked attack on the Consul General is part of a "broader pattern" of Robinson targeting people of Asian descent.
On Aug. 29, 2022, records indicate Robinson assaulted a 76-year-old Asian man on Southeast 82nd Avenue. Police said Robinson came from behind and hit the victim in the head repeatedly, before placing him in a chokehold, cutting off his air supply and preventing him from yelling.
Robinson did not seek release from jail, according to court records. Robinson will remain in federal custody.
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