PORTLAND, Ore. — Two teenagers and an 11-year-old boy robbed a man at gunpoint and ran him down with a car Sunday morning, according to Portland police.
Investigators said the incident was part of a string of robberies and shootings across Portland that occurred over a 12-hour period. The teenage suspects were 15 and 17 years old.
The crime spree began around midnight Sunday when two cars were stolen from a driveway in the 3900 block of Southeast 10th Avenue near Southeast Center Street.
From there, police said the group committed about a dozen more crimes throughout the city, including robbing at least six pedestrians and bicyclists at gunpoint.
Police said the following crimes are connected:
- Around 2 a.m., the suspects shot a house in the 9500 block of North Mohawk Avenue. Minutes later, they attempted to rob a pedestrian near North Killingsworth Street and North Rodney Avenue.
- At 4:31 a.m., a street sign was shot and run over by a car at 4400 block of North Trenton Street.
- At 4:58 a.m., a bicyclist was robbed at gunpoint near the 2000 block of Northeast 15th Avenue.
- At 5:00 a.m., a victim was robbed of his vehicle at gunpoint near the 2100 block of North Argyle Street.
- At 7:25 a.m., a pedestrian was robbed at gunpoint in the 8100 block of Southeast Woodward Street.
- At 7:39 a.m., a man walking his dog was robbed at gunpoint near Southeast 79th Avenue and Southeast Tibbetts Street. When the victim tried to run, the driver hit him with the vehicle.
- At 7:49 a.m., a pedestrian was robbed near Northeast Eighth Avenue and Northeast Roselawn Street.
- At 9:11 a.m., a woman was chased by a group, including at least one suspect with a gun, in the 8000 block of Southeast Bush Street.
- At 9:18 a.m., a bicyclist was robbed at gunpoint near Southeast 84th Avenue and Southeast Schiller Street.
- At 12:16 p.m., someone in a vehicle fired a gun at a pedestrian near Northeast Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and North Alberta Street. No one was injured.
Officers located the boys in a car in the 6400 block of Southeast 83rd Avenue around 1 p.m. on Sunday. They attempted to make a run for it before being taken into custody. The 11-year-old had a handgun which was seized as evidence.
The 15 and 17-year-old were booked into juvenile detention on charges of first-degree robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle. The 11-year-old was released to a guardian because he was too young to be booked.
Police expect more charges will be added as they continue to investigate.
In an interview with KGW, the man hit by the car, Bob Wenberg, said he'd had been walking his dog when the incident occurred on Southeast Tibbetts Street between 79th and 80th Avenue.
"The window was rolled down and there was this masked youth and he was pointing a gun right at me," Wenberg said. "He looked at me and said give me your wallet, your phone and your dog."
The 55-year-old made the decision to run away, and the car accelerated and hit him. He suffered a broken leg.
"These were kids and they tried to murder me when I tried running away," he said. "They tried to run me down."
Wenberg said news of the arrests came as a huge relief.
"I was in shock, I was so happy," said Wenberg. "I told [police] it was a young, young kid that pointed the gun at me. He was younger than I thought, I guess. 11 years old? I can't believe it."
Anyone with information about any of the crimes listed above is asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov.