HILLSBORO, Ore.- On April 1, 2020, Davorea Markelle Tyjuan Walker pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree assault with a firearm. He was sentenced to 80 months in prison by Washington County Judge Rebecca Guptill. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard prosecuted the case against Mr. Walker.

The defendant and the victim are known gang members associated with the Rolling 60s Neighborhood Crips and the Failing Block Bloods respectively, gangs that primarily operate in Portland and Gresham, Oregon. On June 26, 2019 the defendant was at Washington Square Mall with several friends when he spotted the victim inside the mall. The defendant suspected the victim was involved in the death of a fellow gang member and decided to seek retribution. The defendant then went to his car and retrieved a handgun.

The defendant and his group returned to the crowded mall to confront the victim. The victim, who was also armed with a handgun, brandished the firearm at the defendant’s group. Ultimately, the victim and his associate fled through the mall and the defendant and his associates gave chase. The group ended up in the parking lot. The victim pulled his own handgun and both groups exchanged gunfire. Investigators later found nearly a dozen shell casings throughout the mall parking lot. Several vehicles were damaged by gunfire, fortunately no one was hurt. The defendant and victim fled the scene. The shooting was captured on video surveillance.

Mr. Walker was later arrested in Vancouver, Washington. He admitted to his involvement but denied firing any of the rounds, instead he blamed an associate.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge Detective Gabe Stone, the Commercial Crimes Unit and the Tigard Police Department for securing the scene and for their investigative work on this case.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Guptill also ordered the defendant to pay more than $9,000 in restitution and undergo three years of post-prison supervision upon his release. She also barred him from having any contact with any victims or known gang members in the future. Mr. Walker has been transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On March 10, 2020, Talita Weltzien pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and driving under the influence of intoxicants. Judge Oscar Garcia then sentenced Ms. Weltzien to 110 months in prison. Deputy District Attorney Will Stabler prosecuted the case against the defendant.

Ms. Weltzien spent the day of July 24, 2019 with friends at a popular swimming area near Tillamook, Oregon. Witnesses reported the defendant was drinking heavily and using marijuana throughout the day. Arrangements were made to ensure the defendant would not be driving when the group returned home. However, she ended up driving a vehicle despite the objections of her friends. The victim was a passenger in that vehicle.

Friends again attempted to stop Ms. Weltzien from driving that day. When she drove off, they tried to catch up to the defendant. They reported the defendant was driving recklessly and were unable to track her down as she drove at speeds approaching 80 miles per hour.

As the defendant drove eastbound along Highway 6 towards Banks, Oregon, several witnesses called 911 to report her erratic driving. She then approached a construction zone in which traffic was reduced to one lane of travel. That closure caused a backup of multiple cars and was located on a straight section of the highway with clear visibility. A large semi-truck was located at the end of the line of vehicles.

The defendant then crashed into the back of the semi-truck. Oregon State Police crash reconstruction experts later determined the defendant was driving at 106 miles per hour just five seconds before the crash. Additionally, investigators could not find any skid marks at the scene, indicating the defendant made no attempt to stop before the collision. Investigators did determine that in the seconds before the crash the defendant abruptly turned the steering wheel to the left, which caused the passenger side of the car to collide with the back of the semi-truck. The victim was seated in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, an area that was destroyed in the crash. That turn also caused the defendant’s vehicle to hit a second vehicle.

The defendant was uninjured and was able to get herself out of the vehicle. Law enforcement arrived a short time later and noted several signs of impairment. The defendant also admitted to drinking alcohol throughout the day. The defendant was taken to an area hospital where blood samples were taken. Those samples showed a BAC of 0.24%.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the investigative efforts of Oregon State Police including Senior Trooper Billy Bush.

Ms. Weltzien will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving her sentence.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On March 5, 2020, Judge Ted Sims sentenced Fidencio Diaz-Eguiza to 70 months in prison following his convictions by a jury on charges of second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard prosecuted the case against Mr. Diaz-Eguiza.

On February 10, 2019, the defendant was at his home in Hillsboro, Oregon. He was watching television along with the victim, in the family’s living room. He then stepped out of the room briefly. When he returned, he walked towards the victim with one arm concealed behind his back. The defendant then pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the victim and fired one round. The bullet hit her in the neck area. Before shooting the victim, the defendant said something to the effect of, “I told you when I was ready to leave, you would come with me.”

A separate family member then tackled the defendant to the ground and disarmed him. The defendant repeated his statement to the victim once again.

Hillsboro Police responded to the scene and discovered one additional round remaining in the weapon. After an extensive search, they located the defendant hiding in the garage.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge Detective Anthony Johnson and members of the Hillsboro Police Department for securing the scene following the shooting, for locating the suspect and for their investigative work on this case.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office believes that domestic violence offenders must be held accountable for their actions. If you feel that you may be a victim of physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse, please call the Family Justice Center of Washington County at 503-469-8620. You can also contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Mr. Diaz-Eguiza will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence. He will be subject to three years of post-prison supervision upon his release.

*Update*

The defendant in this case was originally convicted under a non-unanimous jury decision. The case had to be retried after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Ramos v. Louisiana that non-unanimous verdicts in state trials for serious criminal offenses violated the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial.

On August 6, 2021, a Washington County jury found the defendant not guilty of second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 25, 2020, Aubri Rita Jenkins was convicted of unlawful use of a weapon, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and two counts of failure to preform duties of a driver in a bench trial. Judge Janelle Wipper then sentenced the defendant to 18 months in prison for her crimes. Deputy District Attorney Sara Loebner prosecuted the case against Ms. Jenkins.

On December 29, 2019, Oregon State Police Trooper Daniel Meyer was dispatched to a business in Banks, Oregon on a welfare check after a concerned citizen reported a woman, later identified as the defendant, was unconscious in the driver’s seat of a vehicle.

As Trooper Meyer approached the vehicle, Ms. Jenkins started the car. Trooper Meyer ordered her to remain at the scene. Instead, she put her vehicle into reverse and accelerated into the Trooper’s marked vehicle. Trooper Meyer then opened the driver’s side door and attempted to apprehend the defendant. She continued to resist and reversed quickly backwards with the Trooper still partially inside the vehicle. He was then thrown into nearby bushes and nearly hit with the open door as the defendant left the scene. As she drove off, she hit the trooper’s vehicle again and struck another vehicle as well.

The defendant then sped off. Trooper Meyer followed her vehicle as it reached speeds approaching 90 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone. He then terminated the pursuit due to safety concerns.

The defendant eventually turned herself in to authorities, leading to her conviction.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of Trooper Meyer and Oregon State Police. This office also thanks the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance on this case.

In addition to her sentence, Judge Wipper also ordered the defendant undergo two years of post-prison supervision upon her release.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On January 3, 2020, Paul Douglas Burdick pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of third-degree sex abuse. On February 20, 2020, Judge Andrew Erwin sentenced the defendant to six months in the Washington County Jail along with five years of formal probation with sex offender treatment. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver prosecuted the case against Mr. Burdick.

The defendant was employed as a driving instructor through Portland Community College. In 2016, two teenage girls reported to their parents that the defendant touched them inappropriately during driver’s education classes. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the allegations but the evidence available in 2016 was not sufficient to proceed with criminal charges at that time.

In September of 2019, another driving student came forward with similar allegations of misconduct committed by the defendant during driving lessons. Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office began investigating once again and obtained a warrant giving them access to a list of the defendant’s prior students. Investigators then contacted the students to inquire if they had anything concerning to report. More than a dozen students responded, all with similar allegations of inappropriate contact.

These new allegations allowed this office to move forward with formal charges against the defendant, ultimately leading to his conviction on the above charges.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the victims for coming forward. This office also commends the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for its work on this case.