Suspect arrested twice after allegedly carrying out two separate unprovoked assaults only minutes apart

A Portland man was arrested twice in less than a week for two separate unprovoked assaults, including an alleged attack on a 69-year-old woman after being released from jail after the first incident, according to police.

Police say the first assault occurred the morning of Nov. 25, 2025, when a 21-year-old man reported being punched in the face by a stranger without warning. 

Officers arrested 24-year-old Santos Puerto-Rios and booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center on a fourth-degree assault charge. He was later released from custody.

Days later, investigators learned of a second alleged attack that had happened the same day.

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Portland Police arrested a man they say is suspected of unprovoked assaults on a 21-year-old man and a 69-year-old woman during the same week. (Portland Police Department)

On Nov. 28, relatives of a 69-year-old woman contacted police to report that she had been assaulted outside her home Nov. 25. According to authorities, an unidentified man approached her, struck her without provocation and ran off. 

Detectives later identified Puerto-Rios as the suspect. Police did not provide details about the woman’s condition.

The woman’s granddaughter posted about the assault on social media in the days that followed, asking the public for help identifying the attacker.

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“NEED HELP IDENTIFYING THIS MAN. He hit my grandma for no reason and ran off. She now has deep bruises from the fall,” she wrote in her original post. 

Puerto-Rios was located and arrested again Dec. 2, once more on a fourth-degree assault charge. Police said additional charges may be considered and that both attacks appear to have been random.

After the second arrest, the granddaughter shared an update thanking the community.

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Portland Police announced the arrest of a suspect linked to two unprovoked attacks minutes apart. (Facebook)

“To everyone that was following the story of my grandma getting assaulted by that random man…the police arrested him today! One week later! We came to find out that he assaulted another man that day. Thank you everyone for all your support and help!!”

The case has renewed scrutiny of Multnomah County’s release practices and raised questions about why Puerto-Rios was freed after the first arrest. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said his office had attempted to keep Puerto-Rios in custody, noting prosecutors filed a probable cause affidavit asking that he remain jailed until a judge could review the case. Puerto-Rios, however, was released before any judge saw the request.

“This is an infuriating example of a gap in Oregon law,” Vasquez said, calling the release a missed opportunity to prevent further harm. He added that Puerto-Rios later failed to appear for a scheduled court date, disrupting the justice process.

A Portland Police cruiser  (Portland Police Department)

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“We appreciate the effort by Portland Police to quickly identify and apprehend the suspect,” Vasquez said. 

The Portland Police Bureau extended well-wishes to both victims and urged anyone with information about the assaults to contact investigators at [email protected].

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].