HILLSBORO, Ore.- On July 6, 2022, Judge Andrew Erwin sentenced Luis Hernandez-Sanchez, age 53, to 375 months in prison. On July 1, 2022, a Washington County jury found the defendant guilty of two counts of first-degree sodomy, two counts of first-degree rape, three counts of first-degree sexual penetration, and five counts of first-degree sex abuse. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lewman prosecuted the case against Mr. Hernandez-Sanchez.

In 2015, the victim told a friend that the defendant sexually abused her. That friend alerted her father who then called police. Beaverton police and investigators with the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) met with the victim. She told them the defendant abused her multiple times over a period of several years. Police arrested the defendant who denied any wrongdoing. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim for reporting this abuse. This office also thanks Beaverton police, ODHS, and CARES Northwest for their work on this case. 

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

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
9717088219

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On April 15, 2022, Matthew Colin Broadwell, age 34, pleaded guilty to first-degree sodomy, four counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and incest. On July 11, 2022, Judge Erik Buchér sentenced the defendant to 30 years in prison. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case.

In July of 2021, the victim told her grandmother that the defendant forced her to touch him inappropriately. Experts from CARES Northwest and the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) spoke with the child. She detailed many instances of sexual abuse by the defendant.

Beaverton police and ODHS confronted the defendant with these allegations. He initially denied any wrongdoing. After he was arrested, Mr. Broadwell admitted to sexually abusing the child on multiple occasions. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim’s family for reporting this abuse to authorities. This office also thanks Beaverton police, CARES Northwest, and ODHS for their work. 

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

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
9717088219

HILLSBORO, Ore.- A federal complaint has been filed against a Washington County man for his threats to commit a school shooting.

Braeden Richard Riess, age 26, will be charged with the federal crime of Interstate Communication of a Threat.

According to court documents, in May of 2022, a federal agency alerted Sherwood police after it received threats from Mr. Riess via its website threatening to shoot children at a particular Sherwood elementary school before killing himself. Mr. Riess was arrested and remains in custody. Parents from the affected school were notified of the incident.

The case was referred to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  On May 17, 2022, the defendant was arraigned on six counts of Disorderly Conduct in the First Degree, the maximum available charge under Oregon law. However, because Oregon law does not provide sufficient means to address threats of mass violence, this office reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to refer the case for federal prosecution.

Oregon law does not provide adequate means to address threats of mass violence to public places such as schools or places of worship. District Attorney Kevin Barton is actively working with multiple state legislators to remedy the issue. In 2020, DA Barton collaborated with lawmakers to craft HB 4145 which sought to address this gap in Oregon law.  However, despite broad support, that bill did not pass. This office continues to advocate for the legislature to address the problem and to ensure we have the public safety tools needed to keep our communities safe.

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
971-708-8219

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On June 8, 2022, a Washington County jury found Jakob Paul Azevedo guilty of second-degree manslaughter and reckless driving. The defendant also pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of intoxicants. On August 26, 2022, Judge Brandon Thompson sentenced the defendant to 75 months in prison and ordered his driver's license revoked for life. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andrew Freeman prosecuted the case against Mr. Azevedo. 

On November 11, 2019, at about 7:30 p. m., the defendant was driving a Ford F-350 south on Roy Rodgers Road approaching Sherwood, Oregon. As he crossed the bridge over the Tualatin River, Mr. Azevedo veered into the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a small BMW convertible driven by Mr. Pyanin Sin. The BMW suffered catastrophic damage and spun into the jersey barrier before coming to rest in the center of the roadway. The truck flipped on its side and slid several feet down the road before coming to rest. The defendant suffered minor injuries and a deputy was able to assist him out of his truck. First responders extracted Mr. Sin from his crushed vehicle so he could be transported to Oregon Health & Science University by LifeFlight, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

The defendant repeatedly denied consuming alcohol that night to both police and medical providers. However, the crash scattered beer cans from the truck into the roadway, and medical testing later revealed Mr. Azevedo’s BAC to be .17% almost two hours after impact. After the trial jury was picked, the defendant chose to plead guilty to the crime of DUII shortly before opening statements began. The evidence at trial then proved him guilty of the remaining counts.  

Initial reports after the crash incorrectly placed the blame on the victim. Only after an extensive follow-up investigation was the State able to prove that Mr. Azevedo was at fault and that he killed Mr. Sin through his reckless and intoxicated driving. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the Sin family for the grace and patience they showed through this long process. This office also acknowledges the hard work of the members of the Crash Analysis and Reconstruction Team (CART) who conducted an extensive follow-up investigation which was instrumental in holding the defendant accountable for the death of Mr. Sin.

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
971-708-8219

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On June 6, 2022, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Oscar Garcia sentenced Darby Jay Martin, age 28, to 15 years in prison. This sentence comes after the defendant previously pleaded guilty to first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree sexual abuse, using a child in display of sexually explicit conduct, and two counts of first-degree unlawful delivery of a schedule I controlled substance to a minor. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against the defendant. 

In June of 2021, a teenage victim contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office. She told investigators that the defendant took her and her cousin, who was also a minor at the time, to his home. He then gave both victims LSD before sexually assaulting one of the teens.

While speaking with detectives, the reporting victim told officers about a third teenager who was sexually involved with the defendant. This victim was interviewed by experts at the Amani Center. She told them Mr. Martin also provided her with drugs before he sexually assaulted her. This third victim told officers of additional teenagers who were involved with the defendant. St. Helens police investigated. They identified two additional teenagers who reported similar behavior by Mr. Martin. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the initial victim for reporting this abuse and acknowledges the additional victims who aided in this case. This office also thanks the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, including Detective Thomas Bowler, and St. Helens police for their work. 

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

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
971-708-8219

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On May 18, 2022, a Washington County jury found Louis Howard Johnson, age 58, guilty of six counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse. On July 6, 2022, Judge Ricardo Menchaca sentenced the defendant to 300 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Chris Lewman prosecuted the case.

The defendant worked as a manager at the Tigarden Apartments in Tigard, Oregon from 1997 to the late 2000s. During that time, he and his wife babysat several children, including the three victims in this case. During a span of about seven years, he repeatedly sexually abused the three young children. 

The abuse did not come to light until May of 2019. One of the victims contacted Tigard police to report what she endured. Detective David Hockin worked with the victims and other law enforcement agencies to positively identify the defendant. Police confronted him with the allegations. He confirmed he did babysit the victims but denied any wrongdoing. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victims for reporting this abuse. This office also acknowledges the work of Tigard police including Detective Hockin and Officer April Keller.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 6, 2022. The defendant will remain in custody until that time. 

Media contact information
Stephen Mayer
Public Information Officer
971-708-8219

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