See how quick thinking, and using a speakerphone, helped security rescue a housekeeper at an outer East Portland hotel, from her attacker – who was a guest there …
She was doing her cleaning according to protocol — when a housekeeper at this Portland International Airport area hotel said she was attacked by a big, burly assailant – with a knife.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Although hotel housekeeping staff are trained to be polite and friendly – they’re also taught to leave guest rooms open, while they tidy up.
Following protocol endangered a female housekeeper of the Sheraton Hotel Airport on July 23, as she was cleaning a room.
According to an Affidavit of Probable Cause filed in Multnomah County District Court the following day, the housekeeper observed a man she didn’t know roaming the hallway, but continued her work.
As she was cleaning a guest room bathroom, the housekeeper heard a noise in the doorway, turned to look, and saw the man entering the bathroom, holding a knife above his shoulders.
The 6 ft 3 in, 285 lbs, alleged attacker closed the hotel room door, trapping the woman, and told her not to scream, court documents showed.
When she began to scream, the man reportedly said he would stab her if she wasn’t quiet, and told her to turn around and face the bathtub.
When she didn’t comply, and the assailant ordered her into the main part of the hotel room, and then to get onto the bed, and continued to say that if she did not do as told, he would stab her, the affidavit said.
Once in the main part of the room, the housekeeper activated the hands-free feature of a nearby phone, and screamed for help to the front desk – and seeing that, the man disconnected the call – and took off, out of the room.
The shaken, but not seriously injured employee closed and locked the door until help arrived.
Port of Portland Police contacted the man in a nearby hotel room, where they recovered a knife, which was put into evidence, court documents disclose.
Now facing two felony kidnapping charges is 31-year-old William Harrison English. MCDC booking photo
31-year-old William Harrison English was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on the day of the incident at 2:49 p.m., on charges of Kidnap in the First Degree (a Class A Felony), Burglary in the First Degree, Unlawful use of a Weapon, Coercion, and Menacing.
After his arraignment, English learned he’ll face two counts of Kidnap in the First Degree, as well as the other charges, with his next court appearance scheduled for August 1. Until then, English remains in the MCDC in lieu of a combined bail of $562,500.
Of course, a charging document (the Affidavit, or “court documents” referred to in this story) is only an accusation of a crime, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
© 2018 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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