HILLSBORO, Ore.- The Washington County District Attorney’s Office is pleased to report that its child support division is the top-collecting division of its kind in Oregon. The DA’s Office child support division assists with the establishment, administration, and collection of child support orders to help children and parents in Washington County. 

According to figures provided by the state, the Washington County DA’s Office child support division collected more than $24 million in current obligations for children and parents during the federal fiscal year of September 2020 to September 2021. Including both current obligations and those in arrears, that number jumps to more than $31 million. That is the highest collection amount statewide. 

What’s more, the Washington County DA’s Office child support division is one of only three across Oregon to meet federal performance benchmarks to qualify for 100% of available federal matching funds, which saves local county resources. And the Washington County DA’s Office child support division continues to build on this momentum as it posted the highest collection numbers in the state during the first quarter of this federal fiscal year. 

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton says the work of the DA’s child support division is critical to supporting children and parents in our community.

“Our DA’s Office child support division works to help parents and children receive the court-ordered support they need.  Ensuring kids have a stable home environment helps keep Washington County safe, which is the mission of the District Attorney,” DA Barton said. 

Senior Deputy District Attorney Ana Maria Carter oversees the Child Support Division. SDDA Carter says these figures reflect the hard work of her team.

“Our unit’s unfaltering dedication to the families of Washington County helps ensure that our county’s children have the support they need to grow in a stable and safe environment.”  

In addition to collecting child support funds, the Washington County DA’s Office child support division also helps parents establish paternity, establish a child support or medical support order, or modify an existing order. More information can be found here.

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 18, 2022, a Washington County jury found Brandon Matthew Nagy guilty of first-degree assault, three counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment, and three counts of third-degree assault. On May 19, 2022, Judge Erik Buchér sentenced the defendant to 35 years in prison. Senior Deputy District Attorney Andy Pulver prosecuted the case.

In early 2017, Mr. Nagy was left alone with his girlfriend’s infant son. Shortly thereafter, the child’s mother received a call from the defendant indicating that the boy appeared to be having a seizure. Medics arrived and discovered that numerous abusive injuries had been inflicted on the child. 

A child abuse pediatrician with CARES Northwest evaluated the boy and determined that he had suffered an acute traumatic brain injury consistent with child physical abuse. Pediatricians also discovered a healing fracture in the child’s jaw, consistent with at least one additional abusive act occurring in the days leading up to his hospitalization.

A thorough investigation by the Hillsboro Police Department revealed that in the previous two weeks Mr. Nagy had on numerous occasions subjected the infant to senseless abusive acts. Although the child’s mother initially protected Mr. Nagy, she later confirmed that on a number of occasions he had unsupervised access to the child and that these occasions coincided with various visible injuries. Analysis of digital devices by Hillsboro police and the Washington County Digital Forensics Laboratory provided photographic documentation of these injuries and firmly corroborated the mother’s statements to police and subsequent trial testimony.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of Hillsboro police, the Washington County Digital Forensics Laboratory, and CARES Northwest on this case. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 16, 2022, Robert Wade Jackson pleaded guilty to attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree attempted sodomy, and first-degree burglary. He was then sentenced to 25 years in prison by Washington County Circuit Court Judge Oscar Garcia. Chief Deputy District Attorney Bracken McKey prosecuted the case against the defendant. 

The defendant is a convicted sex offender. On July 29, 2018, Mr. Jackson broke into the bedroom of a young girl living in an apartment complex near his home. The victim was awakened to a stranger in her room standing by her bed. The defendant was holding a knife and was displaying his genitals. He then pulled the victim towards him and kissed her on the lips. She began to struggle. Mr. Jackson cut her neck with the knife and told her to be quiet. The victim then screamed for her father who instantly ran to her room. 

The defendant dropped his knife as he fled the apartment. Beaverton police responded to the scene. They were unable to locate Mr. Jackson that night but sent the knife to the Oregon State Police crime lab. Investigators linked DNA found on the knife to Mr. Jackson based upon his sex offender registration. The defendant fled the state after the attack but was arrested by Auburn police on November 6, 2018. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to commend the victim in this case for her bravery throughout this process. This office also thanks Beaverton police, including Detective Maggie Brown, Oregon State Police, and the Auburn Police Department for their work on this case. 

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

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 18, 2022, a Washington County jury found Julian Miguel Gallardo guilty of two counts of attempted first-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and first-degree criminal mischief. The jury also found Alan Soto-Guzman guilty of hindering prosecution. Senior Deputy District Attorney Marie Atwood and Deputy District Attorney Pendrey Trammel prosecuted the case against the defendants before Judge Eric Butterfield. 

On June 30, 2019, the defendants drove to Hillsboro, Oregon, and tried to enter a house party. One of the victims in this case told the defendants they were not welcome and asked them to leave. The defendants refused which led to a verbal and physical confrontation. At one point during the argument, Mr. Gallardo pulled a gun. Partygoers then ran inside the home and locked the doors. 

The defendants then returned to Mr. Soto-Guzman’s vehicle. He began driving them slowly past the house as Mr. Gallardo fired eight shots from his weapon. One bullet struck a victim in the shoulder causing severe injury. Other rounds went through the home and damaged two vehicles parked outside. 

In the days and weeks following the shooting, the defendants evaded law enforcement and made attempts to destroy evidence. Mr. Soto-Guzman was arrested in August 2019. Mr. Gallardo was eventually located by authorities after he fled to Washington. Mr. Gallardo tried to evade them in a stolen vehicle along with another individual wanted for murder in Multnomah County, Oregon. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the work of the Hillsboro Police Department on this case, as well as the Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team, Vancouver police, Tigard police, and the US Marshals for their assistance in this very involved investigation. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 15, 2022. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- On February 18, 2022, a Washington County jury found Jorge Ulises Serrano guilty of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sodomy. On June 10, 2022, Judge Ricardo Menchaca sentenced the defendant to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Deputy District Attorney Nadya Martin prosecuted the case.

In October of 2018, the victim, who was living out of state at the time, was alerted to a concerning video posted to a pornographic website. It depicted the victim engaged in sexual activity with an unidentified man. The victim had limited memory of the encounter and had no recollection that it was recorded. 

The victim reported the video to police. Investigators found it and confirmed it depicted the victim. The video garnered more than 165,000 views. 

In November of 2018, the victim received a friend request from a stranger via social media. She accepted the defendant’s request and he began messaging her. As the two communicated, the victim realized that she met the defendant when he worked as a security guard at her apartment complex. As the communication continued, the defendant admitted that he engaged in sexual activity with her despite knowing that she was highly intoxicated. He also admitted that he committed various acts after she fell unconscious. 

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office wishes to acknowledge the bravery shown by the victim in reporting this to authorities. This office also thanks Detective Mark Povolny and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case. 

HILLSBORO, Ore.- The Oregon District Attorneys Association recently announced findings from a survey conducted by Nelson Research. The polling shows Oregonians feel less safe and have concerns over public safety. While the findings may be surprising to some, they reflect a trend this office has witnessed over the past several years. 

“These poll results are consistent with what we see on a daily basis in the DA’s Office,” remarked Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton. “People are increasingly concerned about the rise in crime, especially as it spreads into Washington County from Portland. Oregon is facing a growing public safety crisis and protecting our community and crime victims needs to be a priority.”

The research found that when it comes to public safety, 55% of those surveyed said they feel less safe than they did two years ago. Other key findings regarding public safety include:

• 65% say safety and crime are more important today than two years ago
• 62% say the governor and legislature are “too soft” on crime
• 58% say Oregon is on the wrong track
• 58% say current policies put our communities at risk

Respondents were also asked about their support for law enforcement. 73% said they oppose defunding the police, with the majority indicating they would support hiring more officers. Other key findings include: 

• 66% oppose defunding prosecutors
• 62% support hiring more prosecutors

Oregonians contacted by Nelson Research also showed overwhelming support for the use of incarceration, with 62% saying they think jail and prison are the best ways to protect the public. The survey also found:

• 89% oppose same-day catch and release for domestic violence crimes
• 64% oppose same-day catch and release theft crimes
• 76% want their local sheriff to be able to hold violent criminals in jail without bail
• 56% oppose the governor’s early release of teenagers convicted of violent crimes
• 68% support mandatory minimum sentences for violent criminals
• 82% want victims to have notice and input before a criminal is released from jail pretrial

The full findings of the survey can be found here.