HILLSBORO, Ore- On February 5, 2025, a Washington County jury found James Leland Tijerina, age 31, guilty of rape in the second degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, unlawful sexual penetration in the second degree, unlawful delivery of methamphetamine to a minor (two counts), unlawful delivery of a schedule II controlled substance to a minor (two counts), and recklessly endangering another person in court case number 23CR05555. He was also found guilty of felon in possession of a firearm after a bench trial.

On February 11, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the first degree with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, supplying contraband, unlawful possession of a controlled substance- substantial quantity, and witness tampering in court case number 23CR50076. Deputy District Attorney Rayney Meisel prosecuted the first case and Deputy District Attorneys Alyssa Camp and Mahalee Streblow prosecuted the attempted murder case.

Charges in the first case stem from a February 9, 2022, incident in which the defendant provided fentanyl to a 12-year-old girl. The victim became unresponsive after she and the defendant smoked the drug and the defendant called 911. Investigators learned the victim was a runaway and had spent the last several days with the defendant. After initially denying an inappropriate relationship with the defendant, the victim disclosed several instances of abuse committed by Mr. Tijerina and provided photos and videos that helped corroborate her disclosure.

She told detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office that the defendant gave her methamphetamine and fentanyl several times over the course of a few days. She also described how the defendant raped her while she was under the influence of the drugs he provided. During the course of this investigation, a second minor victim known to the defendant also told authorities that he gave her acid following a surgery when she was 12 years old.

The defendant was arrested and indicted by a Washington County grand jury in the first case and was released by the court pending his trial. He failed to appear for a court hearing and on October 10, 2023, while on warrant status, the defendant became involved in a high-speed chase with Washington County deputies. During that high-speed chase, which reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, the defendant fired several rounds directly at a Washington County deputy who was attempting to stop the vehicle. He fired from such a short range that the deputy could see the muzzle flash as the defendant opened fire. The deputy had to swerve away from gunfire while driving at approximately 80 miles per hour. A shelter-in-place order was given to residents in the City of Gaston during the ordeal. Law enforcement deployed spike strips and eventually stopped the vehicle.

“Deputy Michael Vargas was targeted because he was displaying extreme bravery by trying to stop a vehicle that was posing a danger to the community, despite the obvious risks for his own safety,” said DDA Camp.

The defendant was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail, where it was discovered that he had smuggled a substantial quantity of fentanyl into the jail.

The defendant then called one of the witnesses from the jail and told her not to appear in order to provide testimony against him. That witness later disclosed being fearful of retaliation if she participated as a witness in the cases.

After the defendant was found guilty on all counts in the first case, he pleaded guilty to all counts in the second case.

“It’s been a long road for everyone involved in and affected by Mr. Tijerina’s actions over the last three years.” DDA Meisel said after the trial. “These guilty verdicts and guilty pleas represent a path to true healing for all who have been victimized by Mr. Tijerina.”

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the bravery of the victims in reporting the defendant’s abuse. This office also acknowledges the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on these cases.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 21, 2025.

HILLSBORO, Ore- On January 13, 2025, Michael Aaron Victorio pleaded guilty to robbery in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon- firearm, and felon in possession of a firearm- firearm minimum. He was sentenced to 140 months in prison by Judge Janelle Wipper. Senior Deputy District Attorney Nadya Martin prosecuted this case.

On October 14, 2023, the defendant stole a handgun from a sporting supply store in Clackamas County. Several hours later, he entered a grocery store in Tigard. He watched as the victim in this case finished his shopping and followed the man out of the store. When the victim got into his car, the defendant opened a door and got into the passenger's seat. He told the victim he had a gun and threatened to shoot him if he didn't get out of the car.

The victim jumped out of the vehicle and the defendant drove off. A witness saw this happen and began following the defendant. Mr. Victorio fired a round out of the vehicle and the witness broke off his pursuit. The victim's car was located the next evening abandoned in a residential neighborhood in Southeast Portland.

Investigators compared surveillance footage from the sporting goods and grocery stores to the defendant's past booking photos and quickly identified him.

The Washington County District Attorney's Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Tigard Police Department on this case. We also thank the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office for its assistance.

Mr. Victorio will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- On January 22, 2025, a Washington County jury found Steven Neil Milner guilty of murder in the second degree, stalking, and violating a court’s stalking protective order (seven counts). On February 18th, 2025, Judge Erik Buchér sentenced the defendant to life in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Deputy District Attorney Mahalee Streblow prosecuted this case.

The defendant was a licensed veterinarian with a practice in Oregon City. He developed an intimate relationship with one of his longtime employees who was married to the victim in this case, Kenneth Fandrich. The victim learned of this affair which led to conflict with the defendant. When the woman ended her relationship with Mr. Milner, he became obsessed with her and began stalking her and the victim.

In March of 2022, the victim was granted a stalking protective order (SPO) after years of harassment from Mr. Milner, including the discovery of numerous GPS tracking devices that Mr. Milner attached to the victim’s and his wife’s vehicles. Home surveillance video also captured the defendant sneaking onto their property. Despite the SPO, the defendant continued to engage in stalking behavior. He installed another GPS tracking device on the Fandrich’s vehicles and followed the victim to his home in Oregon City and his workplace at Intel Ronler Acres in Hillsboro more than a dozen times. The defendant was criminally charged in Clackamas County (court case number 22CR41120) but continued the stalking behavior while on conditional release.

In October 2022, the defendant purchased an additional vehicle on Craigslist to begin stalking the victim at his workplace in Hillsboro more covertly. On December 13, 2022, the defendant was captured on Intel’s surveillance cameras as he arrived at a parking structure in the afternoon. While wearing a disguise, Mr. Milner used spray paint to tamper with several security cameras, including those covering the area where the victim usually parked, all to test Intel’s security response. The defendant then repeatedly showed up in the Intel parking structure to observe the victim’s patterns as he came and went from work. In early January 2023, the defendant purchased another vehicle using a false identity. The defendant used this vehicle to continue his covert surveillance of the victim at the Intel parking structure.

On January 27, 2023, the defendant used both of his “burner” vehicles to execute his plan of murdering the victim. The defendant entered the parking structure while in disguise, waited for the victim to park his car and walk into the Intel campus, and again spray-painted the security cameras surrounding the victim’s vehicle. He left the scene and returned in a second vehicle, a minivan, which he parked next to the victim’s car. He waited in the van until the victim got off work and returned to his car. After the victim reached his car, the defendant ambushed him from behind and executed a chokehold on him. After killing the victim, the defendant staged the victim’s body and belongings back in his car in an attempt to make it appear that the victim died of natural causes. Mr. Fandrich was later found dead in his vehicle, but an autopsy revealed injury to his neck and spine.

At trial, the defendant testified in his own defense. The defendant claimed that he acted in self-defense after he was attacked by the victim. The jury rejected the defendant’s claim.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the work of the Hillsboro Police Department and partner agencies on this case.

HILLSBORO, Ore- On January 15, 2025, Ryan James Darby pleaded guilty to bias crime in the first degree, felony assault in the fourth degree, and unlawful use of a weapon. Judge Erik Buchér sentenced the defendant to 60 months in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff MacLean and Deputy District Attorney Harpreet Dhaliwal prosecuted these cases.

These charges stem from two separate incidents. On June 2, 2024, the defendant approached his neighbor, a Black man, and began talking to him. The victim asked the defendant to leave him alone. Mr. Darby responded by calling the victim a racial slur before he attacked him. He struck the victim in the face which caused injury.

The victim called police and officers with the Beaverton Police Department responded to the scene. They spoke with the defendant who denied any wrongdoing. He also provided an alibi and said he was with a friend at the time of the attack. Officers spoke with that woman. She denied the defendant’s claims and said she wasn’t with him then. Officers also found a tattoo on the defendant’s body connected to a well-known white supremacist gang.

On November 9, 2024, the defendant got into an argument with his girlfriend and a friend of hers. He assaulted the friend and threatened to stab them both. The victim’s three children were also present and witnessed this incident. Neighbors heard the children screaming and called police. Officers with the Tigard Police Department responded. Those at the scene downplayed the events and said they had only gotten into a verbal argument. Several days later, officers received a video recording of the incident in which they learned the defendant had threatened the victims with a knife. They also confirmed he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and detained him.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office commends the work of the Beaverton and Tigard Police Departments on these cases. 

In addition to his prison sentence, the court also ordered the defendant to serve two years of post-prison supervision, have no contact with his victims upon release, and undergo mental health and anger management treatment. The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to serve his sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- The Washington County District Attorney’s Office has been approved for a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects program. Working in partnership with Tualatin Valley Creates and the City of Hillsboro Cultural Arts Division, this funding will support the design and creation of a sculpture honoring crime victims to be prominently displayed on the Washington County Courthouse grounds and trauma-informed artwork for areas of the DA’s Office providing services for crime victims.

This office sought this funding to help improve the experiences of crime victims and witnesses who are often subjected to re-traumatization as they navigate the criminal justice process and relive past events. Grand jurors and jury members can also experience secondary trauma while they review evidence and testimony related to their assigned cases.

Carrie Sargavakian, Victim Assistance Senior Program Coordinator with the DA’s office, spearheaded this effort. Sargavakian and her team of victim advocates recognize artwork's healing and calming influence on those experiencing trauma.

“Through this public arts project, we hope to transform our public spaces through trauma-informed design to promote safety, tranquility, and healing, positively impacting how victims and the public experience the criminal justice system, Sargavakian said.

The DA’s office will also seek matching funds, bringing the total amount for this project to $50,000. District Attorney Kevin Barton believes this project will send a strong message of support to crime victims across the county.

“So much about the criminal court process is an ugly experience for victims—from the initial crime itself, to being retraumatized through multiple interviews, testimony, and cross-examinations,” said District Attorney Barton. “This unique effort is our attempt to make the experience a little bit better through beauty and art so that community members feel safe, supported, and welcome.”

“Receiving recognition and funding from an organization like the NEA is a major honor for the community,” said Karl LeClair, Public Art Supervisor for the City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department. “The DA’s office is deserving of this recognition in seeing the value in increasing victim wellness through trauma-informed design and works of art by local artists. This is artistic expression at its best in serving to connect and improve the wellness of our community members.”

This office will work with project partners to commission local artists to submit design proposals. Our goal is to have all artwork completed and installed by the end of 2026.