HILLSBORO, Ore- On September 4, 2024, Richard Dale Warren, age 69, pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse in the first degree. On September 10, 2024, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Brandon Thompson sentenced the defendant to a total of 20 years in prison and ordered he serve post-prison supervision for a period of ten years. Deputy District Attorney Rayney Meisel prosecuted this case.

In March of 2022, the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a report of sexual abuse committed by the defendant. The victim reported the defendant sexually assaulted her multiple times over a one-year period. Mr. Warren threatened to rape and kill her loved ones if she ever told anyone about his actions. Despite these threats, the victim summoned the courage to confide in a family member who then alerted law enforcement. 

During this investigation, detectives learned Mr. Warren has also abused other victims in other states, beginning in the 1980s. The defendant told a family member he was considering murdering one of his prior victims to prevent her from reporting the abuse. That victim, now in her 50’s, confirmed the past abuse to police. She never disclosed the abuse out of fear. When detectives spoke to Mr. Warren, he admitted to historic abuse of multiple victims. He told investigators that he periodically harassed and taunted one victim by sending her sexually explicit photos and messages reminding her of his abuse. He also bragged to her that he would never be held accountable for his actions and told police he had moved to Oregon to avoid arrest.

“Sexually abusing these girls wasn’t enough for him. He took pleasure in inflicting fear and pain both during the abuse and for years after,” DDA Meisel said.  

At sentencing, the victim’s mother read a statement prepared by the child victim. In it, she told the defendant that she would not be defined by his actions. She emphasized that through work with her trauma therapist, she has found a way to survive and will go on to graduate high school and college and live happily, despite what he did to her. 

Authorities have reason to believe that there may be other victims. Anyone with information about additional crimes committed by the defendant should contact law enforcement. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to praise the victim in this case for the bravery shown in reporting the defendant and enduring the legal process. This office also acknowledges the work of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and CARES Northwest. 

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

HILLSBORO, Ore- On August 29, 2024, a Washington County jury found Patrick Mullane Miller guilty of sexual abuse in the first degree. On September 5, 2024, Judge Kathleen Proctor sentenced the defendant to 75 months in prison. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and will be under post-prison supervision upon the completion of his sentence. Deputy District Attorney Christina Luedtke prosecuted this case.

On January 24, 2023, Tigard police responded to a call from a security guard. The guard reported that a woman flagged him down and told him she had just been sexually assaulted by the defendant. 

Police spoke with the woman and learned the defendant was giving her a ride home from an area bar when he unexpectedly pulled into a parking lot and demanded oral sex from her. She refused but the defendant threatened to kill her if she didn’t comply. The defendant then sexually assaulted her. The victim was eventually able to escape and ran to the security guard who was driving by at the time.  

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim for her bravery shown throughout the legal process. This office also acknowledges the work of the Tigard Police Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Office on this case.

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

HILLSBORO, Ore- On August 22, 2024, Brandon D Perkins, age 41, pleaded guilty to online sexual corruption of a child in the first degree and luring a minor. Judge Erik Buchér then sentenced the defendant to three years in prison. Deputy District Attorney Bryce Bissinger prosecuted this case.

On October 17, 2019, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office conducted an undercover child predator sting operation. Deputies posed as 15-year-olds and used various social media platforms to connect with potential predators. 

The defendant, 38 years old at the time, initiated contact with one of the deputies. The defendant said he wanted to spend time with the child and suggested they smoke marijuana together. When the deputy told Mr. Perkins she was 15, he asked who was home with her and told the deputy he wanted to spend time with her alone. He said he would bring condoms to the meeting and made sexually explicit comments regarding the acts he wanted to perform on the minor. 

The defendant arrived at the agreed-upon location and was immediately arrested. Deputies found he had two cell phones, a box of condoms, and $3,000 in cash in his possession. 

This case was indicted in 2019. It suffered from delays caused by COVID and the defendant’s multiple failures to appear in court.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Washington County Sheriff's Office on this case. 

In addition to his prison sentence, the defendant will also serve three years of post-prison supervision and must register as a sex offender. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- On August 7, 2024, Salvador Antonio Martinez-Romero pleaded guilty to murder in the first degree, three counts of attempted murder in the first degree, and four counts of robbery in the first degree. On August 13, 2024, Judge Brandon Thompson sentenced the defendant to life in prison with a minimum of 30 years served before parole eligibility on the murder conviction and nine years in prison on the remaining convictions. These sentences will be served consecutively. Senior Deputy District Attorneys John Gerhard and Allison Brown prosecuted this case.

On December 18, 2019, the defendant was under the influence of methamphetamine when he entered a grocery store in the Murrayhill area of Beaverton, Oregon, and purchased a large chef’s knife. He then walked into a bank located in the same shopping center, pulled out the knife, and demanded tellers give him cash. 

The murder victim in this case, Janet Risch, was inside the bank to withdraw cash as Christmas gifts for her grandchildren when the defendant arrived. When the defendant did not receive money fast enough, he grabbed the murder victim’s adult daughter, Deb Thompson, from behind and slit her throat with his knife.  After tellers handed him the cash, the defendant stabbed Ms. Risch in her in the back, causing fatal wounds. The murder victim’s adult daughter and the bank tellers tried to render aid. While unable to save her mother’s life, the murder victim’s daughter survived her wounds but was left permanently injured. 

The defendant then fled the bank and confronted the third victim as he was leaving an area gym. He demanded the victim’s car, but he resisted. The defendant then stabbed this man in the chest which caused serious injuries. He fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle. 

The defendant then drove to a residential area in Tigard, Oregon. He damaged the vehicle he had stolen and abandoned it. He saw the fourth victim approaching in her vehicle and flagged her down. When she stopped her car, the defendant stabbed her in the leg and torso, pulled her from the vehicle, and stole her car. Police caught up to the defendant, saw him ditch the second stolen vehicle, and saw him flee on foot. He was located near a high school campus and taken into custody. Officers found large amounts of cash stuffed down his pants and hidden under a nearby pile of leaves. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to send our condolences to Ms. Risch’s family and to thank all of the involved victims for their strength throughout this process. This office also acknowledges the work of the Beaverton Police Department, the Tigard Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and all first responders who assisted on this case. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- The Washington County District Attorney’s Office, on behalf of the Washington County Interagency Organized Retail Theft Taskforce, has secured $1,545,487 in grant funding from the State of Oregon to support efforts to combat organized retail theft and shoplifting across the county. This represents the largest award of grant funding in Oregon for the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program and outpaced the second-largest award by more than $800,000.   

The funding will be used to enhance efforts to investigate, prosecute, and stop shoplifters and organized retail theft crews from targeting businesses in Washington County. The money awarded will allow law enforcement and prosecutors to engage in more joint retail theft missions, will help gather additional evidence of retail theft crimes, and will expand the ability to lodge arrested individuals in jail. Grant funding will also be distributed to eligible small and medium-sized retailers to help upgrade security and surveillance systems. 

“Retail theft is a crime that impacts the quality of life for Washington County businesses and residents,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton. “This grant funding sends a strong message to businesses and customers that we care about their safety, and to criminals that we will hold them accountable.”

This office also plans to use a portion of the grant funding to purchase specialty equipment for local law enforcement agencies to bolster their ability to address these crimes and to conduct theft missions across Washinton County.

“In securing this grant, the District Attorney underscores a commitment to safeguarding our community and bolstering our fight against the growing challenge of organized retail theft and shoplifting,” said Washington County Sheriff Caprice Massey. “We understand the profound impact organized retail theft has on the livability of Washington County, and this grant helps us protect local businesses and our community by demonstrating our unwavering resolve to uphold the law and bring justice to those impacted by these crimes.”

“Over the past few years, the Hillsboro community has seen an increase in organized retail theft. We have worked diligently to combat this increase and to build close working relationships with area businesses. This grant will help further our work in these areas by providing needed additional resources,” said Hillsboro Police Chief Jim Coleman.

“Our Commercial Crimes Unit has been dedicated to fighting crimes just like this for years in the Tigard area, and the extra resources provided by this funding will only bolster their ability to interrupt organized retail theft, shoplifting, robbery, and other commercial crimes in our community,” said Tigard Police Chief Jamey McDonald.

“I want to thank the Washington County District Attorney’s Office and local enforcement agencies for working hard to secure these funds,” added Sherwood Police Chief Ty Hanlon. “While this grant is not a complete solution to the theft problem in our county, it represents a significant step forward. It sends a strong message that our local law enforcement agencies are committed to investigating these crimes thoroughly, and our District Attorney’s Office will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.” 

This funding also allows this office to expand our current shoplifting deterrence campaign by providing free shoplifting and theft warning signs to area businesses. To learn more about this program and to request a sign, visit our website.