HILLSBORO, Ore.- On June 17, 2021, Jontay Joseph Cox pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder and was sentenced to 90 months in prison by Presiding Judge Beth Roberts. Senior Deputy District Attorney Jeff MacLean prosecuted the case against the defendant.

In the early morning hours of April 21, 2021, the victim in this case noticed someone inside his car in an apartment complex parking lot located in Beaverton, Oregon. The victim went to investigate and found the defendant inside his vehicle. He confronted Mr. Cox and ordered him to get out of the car.

Mr. Cox exited the vehicle and began to walk away. The victim then turned his back to the defendant so he could lock his vehicle when the defendant fired five rounds from a handgun towards the victim. One bullet struck the victim in the arm. Several other rounds hit the exterior of the apartment building. Fortunately, no one else was wounded and the victim eventually made a full recovery.

Patrol deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office quickly responded to the scene and located the suspect a short time later. After securing a search warrant for Mr. Cox’s vehicle, investigators found the handgun used in the shooting along with five shell casings still in the firearm.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the patrol deputies who responded to the scene, Detective Timothy Miller and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

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