HILLSBORO, Ore.- Three district attorneys—Clackamas County DA John Wentworth, Marion County DA Paige Clarkson, and Washington County DA Kevin Barton— jointly sought and were granted amicus status to appear in federal court to address an issue that has significant public safety implications in communities across Oregon.

Disability Rights Oregon and Metropolitan Public Defenders have asked a federal court to supersede Oregon law and impose new rules and restrictions to address capacity issues at the Oregon State Hospital. (Disability Rights Oregon, Metropolitan Public Defender et. al. v Patrick Allen et. al. case no. 3:02-cv-00339-MO).

The new rules and restrictions drastically reduce the amount of time the Oregon State Hospital has to evaluate and treat defendants for their mental illness so they are fit to proceed to trial. This would result in a high number of defendants who have mental health challenges and are charged with significant crimes being prematurely discharged from the state hospital and released to the community. 

The court has, for now, granted the plaintiffs’ motion to reduce the treatment time periods, but has also granted the request by local counties and district attorneys to brief the matter further. The three district attorneys are taking this unusual step because the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon State Hospital, represented by the Attorney General’s Office, have indicated they do not oppose these new rules and restrictions.

“As district attorneys representing our communities, we are very concerned about this issue,” said Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton. “Because we believe the restrictions will have a negative impact on public safety, we felt compelled to act.”

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On August 25, 2022, Washington County Circuit Court Judge Ricardo Menchaca found Garth Patrick Beams guilty of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon. On August 29, 2022, Judge Menchaca sentenced the defendant to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Deputy District Attorneys Rayney Meisel and Kate Glasson prosecuted the case against Mr. Beams. 

On July 19, 2018, the then 47-year-old defendant called 9-1-1 and reported he had “clobbered” his mother, later identified as 74-year-old Wendy Henson, with a baseball bat. He remained on the phone with dispatchers for the next 15 minutes detailing his many complaints about his mother. When asked whether he would provide aid to the victim, he indicated he was not interested in helping her. 

Tualatin police responded to the scene. They found Ms. Henson inside the home suffering from multiple wounds to her head. She was rushed to the hospital but later died from her injuries. 

“This was a cruel, unprovoked attack on a disabled, elderly woman,” DDA Meisel said in closing arguments, noting the killing was intentional and done out of frustration and rage. 

Ms. Henson is survived by her son, Michael Beams, who also lived in the home at the time of the attack. Mr. Beams provided powerful testimony to the Court as he delivered his victim impact statement.

“Garth’s crime shattered what was left of our family,” Mr. Beams told the Court. “There are only broken pieces to pick up. I feel stuck in a boxing match, fighting against bitterness and outrage.” He added, “In addition to dealing with the grief, moving out of the house was economically implausible for me. In a nasty twist of fate, every day, to this day, I have to walk past the location where [my brother] felled mom.”

Ms. Henson was a published author who wrote plays, novellas, and published a textbook during her time as a college screenwriting instructor. Her 2018 novella Honor Song was adapted from one of her award-winning screenplays. Ms. Hensen had a passion for the arts. She loved to talk about movies and the writing and actors that brought them to life. She had a reoccurring movie review column in Tualatin Life called, “Now Playing.”

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of Tualatin police and those involved in this investigation.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On August 5, 2022, a Washington County jury found Jose Angel Anzo, Jr., age 38, guilty of first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree attempted rape. Judge Erik Buchér then sentenced him to 75 months in prison. Deputy District Attorneys Rayney Meisel and Matt Wise prosecuted the case.

The abuse began in Tigard, Oregon in 2017 and continued through 2020 while the family was living in Vancouver, Washington. The abuse was reported to authorities in both states. The victim was seen by experts at a children's center where she provided details of the abuse.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim and her mother for reporting this abuse. This office also thanks the Tigard Police Department and Vancouver Police Department for their work on this case. 

The State has reasons to believe there could be additional victims related to this defendant. Anyone with information is urged to contact their local police department. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On July 27, 2022, a Washington County jury found Job Cuesta Pozos guilty of seven counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Deputy District Attorney Jason Weiner prosecuted the case against the defendant before Judge Erik Buchér. 

On September 2, 2020, Beaverton police officers met with the two victims in this case. They disclosed repeated and ongoing sexual abuse committed by the defendant. The victims were referred to CARES Northwest where they provided additional details to investigators. Mr. Pozos denied any wrongdoing. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victims in this case for their courage in reporting this abuse. This office also thanks Beaverton police and CARES Northwest for their assistance. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 13, 2022. The defendant will remain in custody until that time. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On July 21, 2022, Senior Judge Gary Williams found Steven Christopher Teets guilty of misdemeanor criminal mischief in the second degree following a bench trial conducted the previous day. Judge Williams then sentenced the defendant to 24 months of probation. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andrew Freeman prosecuted the case. 

In the early morning hours of October 31, 2020, a family in Forest Grove, Oregon was awoken by Mr. Teets setting off the car alarms of the vehicles parked in their driveway. Mr. Teets, who was employed as a Forest Grove Police Officer but off duty at the time, then approached the family at their front door in an aggressive manner. As the family repeatedly told him to leave, Mr. Teets instead yelled, broke items on the porch, and pounded on the locked door. Mr. Teets only left on foot after hearing that the family had called 9-1-1. A few minutes later, a Forest Grove police officer found Mr. Teets a short distance away. 

In addition to his court-ordered probation, Judge Williams also barred the defendant from any further contact with the victims, ordered that he complete 80 hours of community service, and ordered him to complete counseling for alcohol abuse and anger management issues.  

HILLSBORO, Ore.- After a thorough investigation led by the Washington County Crash Analysis Reconstruction Team, (CART) the Washington County District Attorney’s Office has concluded the available evidence does not support criminal charges against the driver involved in the deadly accident. 

A 16-year-old and an 11-year-old were killed on February 20, 2022, after a crash near Edy Road and Trailblazer Place in Sherwood, Oregon. 12 CART investigators from six different law enforcement agencies conducted an exhaustive investigation, including a full review of the driver’s actions prior to the crash, cell phone activity, computerized vehicle data, and full medical history. The driver fully cooperated with this investigation. All available evidence points to the conclusion that the driver lost consciousness while driving which resulted in a loss of control of his vehicle. While the specific medical condition that caused a lack of consciousness remains unknown, the available evidence does not support criminal charges and points to the conclusion that this is a tragic accident. 

A Charging Decision provides additional details regarding this investigation. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to send condolences to the victims’ families and the greater Sherwood community.