HILLSBORO, Ore.- On June 10, 2020, Aaron Cooper Zepeda pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and was sentenced to 70 months in prison by Judge Oscar Garcia. Deputy District Attorney Will Stabler prosecuted the case against Mr. Zepeda.

On September 10, 2019, the defendant was intoxicated and driving with a friend in Beaverton, Oregon. He repeatedly told the friend he wanted to “stick” someone before he arrived at a convenience store. When he arrived at the business, he identified a random person and began arguing with the stranger as the victim entered the building. Mr. Zepeda then followed the victim into the business and continued to harass him. At one point the defendant got into the victim’s personal space, prompting the victim to shove him away. Mr. Zepeda then pulled what appeared to be a pocketknife and stabbed the victim in the torso.

Store employees quickly pushed Mr. Zepeda out of the building and called police. The defendant fled the area and was able to elude authorities.

Beaverton Police obtained surveillance photos from the business and sent them to the Washington County Probation and Parole Department. Two parole officers immediately identified Mr. Zepeda as the attacker that night. Police then obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s home and collected evidence including clothing worn during the attack. Mr. Zepeda admitted to being at the business but denied intentionally stabbing the victim.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office acknowledges the work of the Beaverton Police Department and that of the Washington County Probation and Parole Department on this case.

In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Garcia also ordered the defendant to undergo three years of post-prison supervision upon his release. Mr. Zepeda will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.