PORTLAND, Ore. – The daughter of a man stabbed in Northeast Portland on Sunday night says her father was left to die by a violent homeless man after he told the man not to camp in his neighborhood.
Portland police officers responded to a reported stabbing in the 12400 block of Northeast Siskiyou Street on Sunday just before 6:30 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a man who appeared to have been stabbed, according to a Portland Police Bureau press release. The victim was taken to Legacy Emanuel hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police said there was a disturbance between the victim and suspect in a field on the northeast corner of Northeast 122nd Avenue and Siskiyou Street, near the Interstate 84 bike path. Officers said there was evidence of the assault in the field.
On Monday morning, police said they identified the suspect as 25-year-old Todd Schneider. He was charged with first-degree assault and taken to the Multnomah County Jail.
According to court records, Schneider lists a home address about 15 blocks from where the stabbing happened. He told police he is not currently employed and has no source of income.
Schneider's family told KGW he is homeless and has a history of aggression and substance abuse problems.
In court on Tuesday, Schneider refused attorney representation. He is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning.
Daughter: Father stabbed 17 times
Kayla McNeel says her father, Kasey, is the victim in the attack. Portland police confirmed the victim's name.
McNeel alleges that Schneider was trying to set up a camp near her father's home.
“He was stabbed 17 times last night and left to die by a homeless man," McNeel posted on her Facebook page.
She said her father was stabbed in the lungs, stomach, back, mouth, eye and the back of is head, after he told the suspect not to camp in his neighborhood.
“All because he told a homeless man he couldn’t camp in his neighborhood. The City of Portland has allowed this to happen and this is just the beginning of my fight. When will it stop?” McNeel said.
McNeel said Schneider should be charged with attempted murder.
Editor's note: The Facebook post has since been removed or the privacy settings of the post were changed.
Another of Kasey's daughters, Shawna Lebechuck, posted on Facebook that she and her family are grateful for the kind words and support.
"I feel as though I am in a bad dream," Lebechuck wrote on Facebook. "I am so thankful God was looking down on my Dad & gave him the strength to pull through this. I am also very thankful for the neighbors who were home when my dad knocked on their door & were able to call 911. If they weren’t home, my dad would of died."
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he increased funding for more homeless services and offered sympathy to the victim.
“My deepest sympathies are with the victim and his family at this difficult time. I wish him a full and speedy recovery. While information about this incident is developing, the suspect has been arrested and police are continuing to investigate. I am committed to providing law enforcement the resources they need to reduce violent crime in our community,” the mayor said in a statement.
McNeel set up a GoFundMe account for her father to raise money for his medical care. She said her father is a single man who lives alone, and the fund will also help with a meal service while he recovers.