HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 9, 2022, Ramona Nyisha Washington pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted robbery, failure to perform duties of a driver to injured persons, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Washington County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Kathleen Proctor then sentenced the defendant to four years in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown prosecuted the case against Ms. Washington. 

On December 17, 2021, the defendant drove a stolen car from Portland, Oregon to Beaverton, Oregon. The defendant stopped at a liquor store where she stole more than $100 worth of alcohol. She then drove to a nearby costume store and stole more than $100 worth of wigs. 

Employees of the second business witnessed the theft and followed the defendant into the parking lot in an attempt to retrieve the stolen items. Ms. Washington refused to hand the items over and got into the stolen car. She then hit one of the employees in the leg with the car as she drove off. 

Beaverton police were called and spotted the stolen vehicle a short time later. A high-speed chase ensued. During her attempt to elude authorities, Ms. Washington slammed into at least two occupied vehicles which caused injuries to the occupants and significant property damage.

Ms. Washington crashed the vehicle and fled on foot. She was caught by police. She told officers she wasn’t from the area and was trying to get back to Portland. The defendant had similar charges pending in Multnomah County for unauthorized use of a vehicle, failure to perform duties of a driver, and fleeing or attempting to elude police. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Beaverton Police Department on this case.

In addition to her prison sentence, the defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to her victims. She will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving her sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 4, 2022, a jury found Norbeto Nestor Muniz, Junior guilty of murder and first-degree abuse of a corpse. On February 8, 2022, Judge Andrew Erwin sentenced the defendant to life in prison. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey and Deputy District Attorney Bryce Bissinger prosecuted the case against the defendant.

On November 17, 2018, Beaverton police were called to a home off of SW Allen Boulevard on a report of a suspicious circumstance. Responding officers searched the home and found the body of Amy Low. Ms. Low’s body was badly burned, and she was not positively identified until January of 2019. 

Ms. Low lived at the residence with the defendant and another man. Detectives identified the defendant as a suspect in the crime. Investigators secured a search warrant and found several items of interest in the home including items which contained DNA evidence. They determined Ms. Low was beaten to death and subsequently burned in a backyard burn pile. 

The defendant was arrested with the assistance of Portland police on May 8, 2019 and was held until trial. The defendant had recently been released from prison after serving a Measure 11 sentence for first-degree robbery. 

This office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Beaverton Police Department including Detectives Chad Opitz and Maggie Brown. This office also wishes to thank the Portland Police Bureau for their assistance in apprehending the defendant.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 27, 2022, Jaime Gomez-Figueroa pleaded guilty to first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Menchaca then sentenced the defendant to 25 years in prison. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against Mr. Gomez-Figueroa. 

The victim in this case is now an adult. She reported sexual abuse perpetrated by the defendant that occurred when she was a child. She recalled multiple incidents of abuse that went on for several years. 

The victim confronted the defendant with these allegations. He admitted to the abuse. Hillsboro police also interviewed Mr. Gomez-Figueroa. He confessed that he inappropriately touched and abused the victim. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim in this case for her bravery in bringing these allegations forward and for participating in the court process. This office also wishes to thank the Hillsboro Police Department for their work on this case. 

The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 26, 2022, David Duwayne Johnson, age 52, pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of public indecency. Washington County Circuit Court Judge Beth Roberts sentenced the defendant to 75 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against Mr. Johnson. 

The defendant is a registered sex offender. In March of 2021, he entered the room of a young girl as she slept. He then sexually assaulted her. The victim reported the abuse to a friend who then alerted an adult. Cornelius police investigated the case. They confronted Mr. Johnson with these allegations. The defendant admitted he did engage in inappropriate contact with the victim.

The public indecency convictions stem from two separate incidents involving the defendant. On June 11, 2020, he exposed himself to an employee at a grocery store in Cornelius. On June 18, 2021, the defendant was caught masturbating at the Cornelius Public Library. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Cornelius Police Department. This office also commends the victim in this case for reporting the abuse. 

Mr. Johnson will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On December 17, 2021, a Washington County jury found Derek Mitchell Shine, age 32, guilty of four counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, and five counts of first-degree sexual abuse. On January 24, 2022, Judge Andrew Erwin sentenced the defendant to 50 years in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Marie Atwood prosecuted the case against Mr. Shine. 

In June of 2019, the child victim in this case reported that the defendant, who was already a convicted sex offender, was sexually abusing her. The child was interviewed by experts at CARES Northwest where she gave additional details on the abuse that she endured. She reported this abuse began about one year prior to her disclosure. 

Hillsboro police confronted the suspect with these allegations. He admitted the victim often slept in his bed but denied inappropriate contact. Police secured and executed a search warrant on the defendant’s residence. There they found evidence corroborating the victim’s allegations. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim for reporting this abuse and for her participation in the court process. This office also wishes to acknowledge Hillsboro police, CARES Northwest, and the Oregon Department of Human Services for their work on this case. 

Mr. Shine will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 12, 2022, on the second day of his trial, Brett Howard Cunningham, age 41, pleaded guilty to first-degree invasion of personal privacy and first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse. Deputy District Attorneys Chris Lewman and Rayney Meisel prosecuted the case against Mr. Cunningham before Washington County Circuit Court Judge Andrew Erwin. 

The defendant was employed as a kindergarten teacher at Orenco Elementary School in Hillsboro, Oregon when the Oregon Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cybertip that he was accessing child pornography from his Multnomah County home.  

In May of 2020, Portland police executed a search warrant on the house and seized the defendant’s devices. He admitted they would find four images and videos depicting child pornography but claimed they were not for sexual purposes. Mr. Cunningham was charged in Multnomah County for possession and duplication of that child abuse material.

In addition to the four images and videos the defendant acknowledged, investigators also found a photo the defendant took of a student using the restroom at Orenco Elementary School in Washington County. The photo depicts intimate areas of the child’s body and is taken from an angle such that the defendant would have to be hidden from view when he took it. The victim was identified by police and no other students were impacted. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Oregon Department of Justice and the Portland Police Bureau on this case. 

Mr. Cunningham also agreed to plead guilty to two charges of first-degree encouraging child sexual abuse related to the Multnomah County case. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 3, 2022.