HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 14, 2023, Washington County agreed to accept $300,000 in additional grant funds awarded to the DA’s Office from the United States Department of Justice (US DOJ) under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program Grant. This is a competitive grant award intended to increase the capacity of state and local prosecution offices to combat bias crime in their communities. 

The Washington County DA’s Office was awarded an initial $300,000 from this grant in October 2021. That original funding allowed the DA’s Office to launch a Washington County Bias Crime Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) and support victim advocate positions dedicated to serving bias crime victims. The MDT has since been working collaboratively with local law enforcement and community partners to develop strategies to reduce hate crime. These strategies involve trainings, education, and outreach efforts. However, the MDT recognizes the pressing need to increase public attention to this important issue. 

In September 2023, based on the early success of the bias crime MDT, the DA’s Office was invited to apply for additional funding from US DOJ to expand its work. With this added funding, the DA’s Office will enhance its public engagement and education efforts by hiring an outreach coordinator. This coordinator will work with the MDT to implement outreach and education efforts in our community aimed at bias crime prevention. 

“We are pleased to accept this additional grant funding that will allow us to increase our efforts to combat bias and hate crimes in our community,” said District Attorney Kevin Barton.  “These additional resources come at a time when we need to do all we can to ensure everyone in our community feels safe and protected.”

The MDT recently hosted the inaugural Washington County Bias Crime Symposium. This specialized training brought together more than 50 members of various law enforcement agencies and community organizations to learn about the most effective ways to promote bias crime intervention and response. This is just one example of this grant funding at work in an effort to improve community safety. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- On November 3, 2023, a Washington County jury found James Andrew Dewhurst guilty of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm and Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm. On December 14, 2023, Judge Theodore Sims sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years (300 months) without the possibility of parole. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andrew Freeman and Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver prosecuted the case against the defendant.

In the early morning hours of August 30, 2021, Mr. Dewhurst called a suicide hotline to report he was armed with a firearm and was going to kill himself. He also stated he intended to fight law enforcement. An officer with the Beaverton Police Department spoke with the defendant at length over the phone in an effort to help him. During his conversations with law enforcement, the defendant disclosed that he murdered his roommate.

Officers convinced the defendant to exit his apartment building where he was taken into custody without incident. Officers searched the apartment and found the victim, Rocky Marciano Harkins (age 43), deceased from a single, close-range gunshot wound. Officers also found the defendant’s two Glock handguns and his AR-15 rifle, which was lying on his bed along with a tactical vest containing several loaded rifle magazines with more than 150 rounds of ammunition. The defendant assembled this weaponry in the hours between when he shot Mr. Harkins and when he called the suicide hotline, in apparent preparation for a gunfight with police. 

The defendant testified at length that he shot Mr. Harkins in self-defense, a claim the jury rejected after about three hours of deliberation. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the hard work and professionalism of Beaverton Police Department personnel on this case including the investigative efforts of lead Detective Maggie Brown. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- Over the past four years, Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton has worked with a coalition of area leaders to establish Oregon’s first co-located child abuse and domestic violence center. That goal is one step closer to reality with the purchase of a new building that will be the future site of the Family Peace Center of Washington County.

Located in Hillsboro, Oregon, the 64,000-square-foot facility will be renovated to accommodate under one roof what is currently the Family Justice Center of Washington County, which includes the Domestic Violence Resource Center and other nonprofits and governmental organizations. Additionally, CARES Northwest, a Portland-based child abuse clinic, will join this new facility to provide child abuse evaluations and trauma therapy for Washington County children and families. Currently, services provided by these organizations are available but are in separate locations, including locations outside of the county in Portland, Oregon. This new facility will provide trauma-informed services for victims and survivors of all forms of family violence and trauma in one, easily accessible location.

“I am very proud to be part of the effort to establish the Family Peace Center,” said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton.  “Our mission is to offer prevention, intervention, healing, and hope for victims and survivors of family violence and trauma. We have worked together with many partners including legislators, nonprofits, and community leaders to bring this vision to a reality so that we can keep our Washington County community safe.”

Slated to open in early 2026, the building will be designed to create trauma-informed spaces that help survivors feel safe and comfortable and will feature child and adult forensic medical services, bigger childcare areas, more space for advocacy and counseling, expanded court services, survivor community spaces, and more.

In 2021, the Oregon legislature awarded the coalition $6.65 million to cover the purchase and remodeling of a building for this purpose. That funding is comprised of $6.25 million in Oregon lottery bond funds and $400,000 in American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA) funds. In 2023, the Oregon legislature allocated an additional $4 million for this project, bringing the total amount to more than $11 million in funding support. 

District Attorney Barton wishes to thank those who helped make this possible, including overwhelming support from Washington County’s elected and community leaders. Click here to see the letters of support for this effort.

HILLSBORO, Ore- Community members and law enforcement officials throughout the tri-county area will convene this week for the eighth-annual Building Bridges of Understanding in Our Communities event on October 26, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This marks the first time the event will be held in person since 2019. It is open to the public and members of the media, prior registration is required. The summit is hosted by the Muslim Educational Trust (MET) in Tigard, Oregon. To register, please visit our website.

This year’s theme is “Confronting Bias Through Justice and Healing.” Criminal justice and community leaders will share perspectives in moderated panel discussions. Attendees will also explore the day’s topics in several moderated table discussions.

For seven consecutive years, leaders from public safety and civil society organizations have come together to build and strengthen trust in one another and to cultivate trust with the communities they serve. The annual event has been held at MET since its inception in the fall of 2016. Click here to view videos of prior events. To view a list of participating organizations, visit our website. Event sponsors can also be seen here.

For media inquiries or to book interviews with steering committee members, please contact Stephen Mayer of the Washington County District Attorney’s Office by emailing stephen_mayer@washingtoncountyor.gov or calling (971) 708-8219.

HILLSBORO, Ore- On October 10, 2023, following the completion of jury selection on the first day of trial, defendant Rian Alden pleaded guilty to Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, a felony. Senior Judge Beth Roberts sentenced the defendant to a suspended three-year prison sentence and formal probation to be supervised by the Washington County Community Corrections Department. Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeff Lesowski prosecuted the case against Mr. Alden. 

On March 30, 2018, Mr. Alden was working as a deputy in the Washington County Jail. The defendant was assigned to the intake area. The victim, Albert Molina, had just been arrested for DUII and was being processed into the jail by the defendant. Mr. Molina was intoxicated at the time and was struggling to comply with the defendant’s commands. During the booking photo process, the defendant rushed towards the victim and forced him into a wall. The incident knocked the victim unconscious. Mr. Molina was transported to the hospital where he was treated for significant injuries to the head. 

The defendant was indicted by a grand jury in 2020 for Assault in the Second Degree.  In 2021, the Oregon Supreme Court decided State v. Owen, which changed the legal proof requirements for that crime making convictions more difficult. Despite the change in Oregon law, this case proceeded to trial, with jury selection being completed on October 10, 2023. After jury selection, the defendant elected to change his plea. 

Importantly the victim, Mr. Molina, supported the resolution of the case.  Mr. Molina made it known that he did not want Mr. Alden to be a police officer again, he wanted the case to resolve with a plea, and did not want Mr. Alden to serve a prison sentence.  This felony resolution will accomplish all of those goals.

As part of the sentence, Judge Roberts also ordered the defendant to submit a DNA sample and to undergo an anger evaluation and treatment.  If Mr. Alden violates any terms of his supervision, the court will be able to impose the suspended three-year prison sentence. 

HILLSBORO, Ore- On October 6, 2023, a Washington County jury found Edi Villalobos Jr. guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Burglary in the First Degree, two counts of Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer, Reckless Driving, and Recklessly Endangering Another Person. Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Deputy District Attorney Nadya Martin prosecuted the case before Judge Eric Butterfield. 

On April 10, 2021, the defendant and his girlfriend visited his mother’s house in Cornelius, Oregon. His mother was in a long-term relationship with the victim, Artemio Guzman-Olvera, and the pair lived together in the home. When the victim arrived home from work, the defendant rushed towards him and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. Family members were unaware of any dispute between the two and the attack was unprovoked. 

Family members rendered aid to the victim until first responders could arrive. The victim was flown to an area hospital where he later died from numerous stab wounds. The defendant and his girlfriend fled the scene in their vehicle. 

The pair then drove to Wilsonville, Oregon to meet up with two friends. All four people were inside an apartment when the defendant attacked the two friends with the same knife he used to murder Artemio Guzman-Olvera in another unprovoked attack. The male victim suffered serious injuries but was able to alert law enforcement. This incident was prosecuted by the Clackamas County District Attorney’s Office, and the defendant pled guilty in that case to Assault in the First Degree and was sentenced to 90 months in prison. 

The defendant fled the Wilsonville scene back towards Tigard, and numerous officers responded to the area and eventually located the defendant’s vehicle. He then led officers on a chase at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour through dense traffic. The defendant eventually could not maneuver through traffic and fled his vehicle on foot, leaving his girlfriend behind.  The defendant jumped over several fences and fled into the Summerfield retirement community.

A short time later, the defendant broke into a home in Tigard, Oregon. An elderly couple was inside the residence at the time. He told them he needed help and began washing his hands and clothing with cleaning supplies. He attempted to steal the homeowner’s clothing as well. At some point, the homeowner received a phone call from a neighbor during which he was able to discretely ask the neighbor to call 9-1-1, which she did. The defendant became increasingly agitated and fled the home, running deeper into the Summerfield community, where he was ultimately arrested by police. 

Detectives obtained search warrants for the vehicle the defendant was driving and the home where the initial stabbing took place. They found blood, bloody clothing, and a knife in the car. They also found a sheath in the home that matched that of the knife found in the vehicle. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Washington County Major Crimes Team and all agencies who helped search for and apprehend the suspect. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 20, 2023. The defendant will remain in custody until that time.