The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Jesus Ascencio-Molina, reportedly stabbed the elderly victim multiple times as he unloaded groceries from his vehicle. According to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the victim told law enforcement that when the suspect failed to carjack him, he ran away on foot. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries.
After getting a description of the suspect from nearby witnesses who saw him flee, law enforcement was able to find and arrest Ascencio-Molina at a nearby apartment complex. He has been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Ascencio-Molina is an illegal Mexican national who was previously deported from the United States in 2013, according to a 2018 report from the Daily Caller. He also has a lengthy criminal record in Oregon, including a 2018 arrest for an alleged attempted murder involving a nail gun—a case that was ultimately dismissed by a judge. Similarly, a theft charge against him in 2016 was also dismissed.
Despite his immigration history, Oregon's status as a sanctuary state restricts local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office confirmed this policy, with a spokesperson explaining, "State law prohibits us from inquiring specifically about place of birth or immigration status.”
"Jesus Ascencio-Molina was lodged in the Clackamas County Jail and is being held without bail on charges of Robbery in the first degree, Assault in the first degree, Unlawful use of a weapon, and Attempted murder in the second degree,” a release from the police stated.
