PORTLAND, Ore — A resident told KGW that the woman who suffered life-threatening injuries after she got into a Portland building’s garbage chute and fell 16 stories into a trash collection area had burst into his condo in a manic state minutes before she fell.
"She was just manic. Crazy. All the time screaming nonstop, 'Todd's going to kill me,'" said Steven Lofton, who lived in the high-rise apartment building located at 1928 West Burnside Street.
Lofton said he and his neighbors are familiar with this woman, who police say is not a resident of the building. He said she's been causing problems in the building for a few months, including mental health episodes and frequent fights with a man who Lofton said is her boyfriend.
On Monday, the woman was pounding on Lofton's door. He said he opened the door and she rushed in.
"When I opened the door, she jumped over me and tore through the apartment," Lofton said. "Picked up vases, threw them on the floor. You'll notice there's no lamps in my living room anymore. She threw the lamps. Opened the cupboards, threw dishes, pushed me to the floor, cut me. My knee's swollen."
Lofton said the woman eventually ran out of the apartment. He said he locked the door and called police. A few minutes later, she fell down the trash chute.
Medics rushed the woman to Oregon Health and Science University hospital. According to Portland police, the woman suffered a life-threatening head injury in the fall.
Police said the woman may have been struggling with a mental health crisis, and Portland fire officials said they believe she got into the chute voluntarily.
Lofton said this incident was preventable. He said the woman was supposed to be banned from the building, and that if the property manager had enforced that ban, she wouldn't have been hurt.
The woman's name has not been released.
Help is available for community members struggling from a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts. Suicide is preventable.
The Multnomah County Mental Health Call Center is available 24 hours a day at 503-988-4888.
If you or someone you know needs help with suicidal thoughts or is otherwise in an immediate mental health crisis, please visit Cascadia or call 503-963-2575. Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare has an urgent walk-in clinic, open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., 7 days a week. Payment is not necessary.
Lines for Life is also available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Information about the Portland Police Bureau's Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) and additional resources can be found by visiting http://portlandoregon.gov/police/bhu